Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with meningitis in a child with disseminated staphylococcal disease

Abstract

The availability of anti-staphylococcal antibiotics today has revolutionized the treatment strategies to fight Staphylococcus aureus. However, its virulent nature still remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in the pediatric age group. It presents with a wide spectrum of illnesses ranging from minor skin and soft-tissue infections to fatal necrotizing pneumonia and disseminated disease. However, its presentation as meningitis with septic venous sinus thrombosis in pediatrics remains a rare complication till date. We present the case of an 8-month-old girl child with disseminated staphylococcal disease (DSD) caused by community-acquired methicillin-sensitive S. aureus and complicated by acute mastoiditis, meningitis, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. This rare and severe manifestation of DSD was managed successfully with intravenous antibiotics and systemic anticoagulation.

Keywords

• cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
• disseminated staphylococcal disease
• methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus