Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine logoLink to Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
. 1989 Apr;82(4):206–209. doi: 10.1177/014107688908200408

Meningitis after splenectomy.

C D Selby 1, P J Toghill 1
PMCID: PMC1292085  PMID: 2716017

Abstract

Five splenectomized patients suffered six episodes of bacterial meningitis with positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures. They were admitted to the Nottingham hospitals between 1974 and 1985. The infecting organism in all cases was Streptococcus pneumoniae. Only one patient, who survived, had had pneumococcal vaccine; two patients died in spite of intensive therapy. There is now good evidence for giving prophylactic penicillin to asplenic patients but the efficacy of the pneumococcal vaccine remains uncertain.

Full text

PDF
206

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baumgartner J. D., Glauser M. P., Burgo-Black A. L., Black R. D., Pyndiah N., Chiolero R. Severe cytomegalovirus infection in multiply transfused, splenectomized, trauma patients. Lancet. 1982 Jul 10;2(8289):63–66. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)91688-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Eskola J., Peltola H., Takala A. K., Käyhty H., Hakulinen M., Karanko V., Kela E., Rekola P., Rönnberg P. R., Samuelson J. S. Efficacy of Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide-diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine in infancy. N Engl J Med. 1987 Sep 17;317(12):717–722. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198709173171201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Foster P. N., Losowsky M. S. Hyposplenism--a review. J R Coll Physicians Lond. 1987 Jul;21(3):188–191. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gopal V., Bisno A. L. Fulminant pneumococcal infections in 'normal' asplenic hosts. Arch Intern Med. 1977 Nov;137(11):1526–1530. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. LaForce F. M. Immunizations, immunoprophylaxis, and chemoprophylaxis to prevent selected infections. US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 1987 May 8;257(18):2464–2470. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Meier F. P., Waldvogel F. A., Zwahlen A. Role of splenectomy in the pathogenesis of Haemophilus influenzae type f meningitis. Eur J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Dec;4(6):598–600. doi: 10.1007/BF02013409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Missri J. C., Rohatgi P. Pneumococcal endocarditis following splenectomy for trauma. Am Heart J. 1984 Sep;108(3 Pt 1):622–624. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(84)90440-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Monfardini S., Bajetta E., Arnold C. A., Kenda R., Bonadonna G. Herpes zoster-varicella infection in malignant lymphomas. Influence of splenectomy and intensive treatment. Eur J Cancer. 1975 Jan;11(1):51–57. doi: 10.1016/0014-2964(75)90037-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Morfeldt-Mànson L., Kalin M., Lundbergh P. Pneumococcal meningitis with a prolonged course in splenectomized patient. Scand J Infect Dis. 1981;13(2):153–154. doi: 10.3109/inf.1981.13.issue-2.14. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pearson H. A., Johnston D., Smith K. A., Touloukian R. J. The born-again spleen. Return of splenic function after splenectomy for trauma. N Engl J Med. 1978 Jun 22;298(25):1389–1392. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197806222982504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rice H. M., James P. D. Ectopic splenic tissue failed to prevent fatal pneumococcal septicaemia after splenectomy for trauma. Lancet. 1980 Mar 15;1(8168 Pt 1):565–566. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)91056-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Robinson M. G., Watson R. J. Pneumococcal meningitis in sickle-cell anemia. N Engl J Med. 1966 May 5;274(18):1006–1008. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196605052741806. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rose F. B., Camp C. J., Chisdak M. Disseminated histoplasmosis and asplenia. Ann Intern Med. 1982 Jun;96(6 Pt 1):790–790. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-96-6-790_1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rosner F., Zarrabi M. H., Benach J. L., Habicht G. S. Babesiosis in splenectomized adults. Review of 22 reported cases. Am J Med. 1984 Apr;76(4):696–701. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(84)90298-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Ruben F. L., Hankins W. A., Zeigler Z., Norden C. W., Harrison A., Winkelstein A., Herrmann D. J. Antibody responses to meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine in adults without a spleen. Am J Med. 1984 Jan;76(1):115–121. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(84)90759-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SMITH C. H., ERLANDSON M., SCHULMAN I., STERN G. Hazard of severe infections in splenectomized infants and children. Am J Med. 1957 Mar;22(3):390–404. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(57)90095-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Selby C., Hart S., Ispahani P., Toghill P. J. Bacteraemia in adults after splenectomy or splenic irradiation. Q J Med. 1987 Jun;63(242):523–530. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Simberkoff M. S., Cross A. P., Al-Ibrahim M., Baltch A. L., Geiseler P. J., Nadler J., Richmond A. S., Smith R. P., Schiffman G., Shepard D. S. Efficacy of pneumococcal vaccine in high-risk patients. Results of a Veterans Administration Cooperative Study. N Engl J Med. 1986 Nov 20;315(21):1318–1327. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198611203152104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tan K. H. Fulminating pneumococcal septicaemia and meningitis in an adult twenty years after splenectomy for a ruptured spleen. Neth J Surg. 1982 Dec;34(5):222–224. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tsuchida H., Yamaguchi K., Yamamoto S., Ebisawa I. Quartan malaria following splenectomy 36 years after infection. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1982 Jan;31(1):163–165. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1982.31.163. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Zarrabi M. H., Rosner F. Rarity of failure of penicillin prophylaxis to prevent postsplenectomy sepsis. Arch Intern Med. 1986 Jun;146(6):1207–1208. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine are provided here courtesy of Royal Society of Medicine Press

RESOURCES