Abstract
Bacterial menigitis in infants is often associated with complications despite appropriate antibiotic treatment. Brain CT has proved useful in the detection of the complications. Several ultrasonographic findings of bacterial meningitis have been reported in recent years. We reported three patients with bacterial meningitis associated with various complications.
Case 1 was a 16-month-old boy with meningitis caused by Hemophilus influenzae. The width of the lateral ventricle was 4 mm on the 6th hospital day, and then increased to the maximum of 10 mm on the 27th hospital day, probably due to cerebral atrophy during the acute stage of meningitis. Case 2 was a 7-month-old boy with meningitis caused by Diplococcus pneumoniae. He had cerebral infarction, which was shown as a hyper-echoic lesion on the 9th hospital day. Echogenicity of the lesion decreased thereafter because of abscess formation. Then the abscess connected to the lateral ventricle, causing ventriculitis shown as foggy echo by ultrasonography. He also had hydrocephalus. Case 3 was a 6-month-old boy with meningitis caused by Hemophilus influenzae. A localized subdural effusion was demonstrated outside the sylvian fissure.
In conclusion, brain ultrasonography is a useful imaging procedure in the evaluation of complications of bacterial meningitis. We recommend ultrasonography as an initial imaging procedure for the evaluation of the complications.
