First report of postoperative intracranial Weeksella virosa infection

• Published in: Acta neurochirurgica Vol. 159; no. 11; pp. 2235 - 2238
• Main Authors: Toescu, Sebastian M., Lacey, Sandra, Low, Hu Liang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.11.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Brain cancer; Case Report - Brain Tumors; Central Nervous System Infections - microbiology; Craniotomy; Empyema; Empyema - microbiology; Female; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Humans; Interventional Radiology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meningeal Neoplasms - surgery; Meningioma - surgery; Middle Aged; Minimally Invasive Surgery; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosurgery; Neurosurgical Procedures; Postoperative Complications; Recurrent infection; Sepsis; Sepsis - microbiology; Surgical Orthopedics; Surgical Wound Infection - microbiology; Ventricle; Wounds; β-Lactam antibiotics; Anaplastic meningioma; Central nervous system infection; Ventricular empyema; Weeksella virosa
• ISSN: 0001-6268; 0942-0940
• DOI: 10.1007/s00701-017-3307-9

A 49-year-old female underwent multiple craniotomies for resection of recurrent malignant meningiomata (WHO grade III). She re-presented with sepsis due to a ventricular empyema. The craniotomy wound was urgently debrided, and isolates of the gram-negative rod, Weeksella virosa, were identified on 16S PCR. This species is most commonly found as a genitourinary commensal. We present the first documented intracranial infection by Weeksella virosa and its successful treatment with oral β-lactam antibiotics.