معرفي يك مورد باكتريمي و مننگوانسفاليت آنتراكس

A case of anthracis bacteremia and meningoencephalitis

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, caused by bacillus anthracis, which transmits to human by close contact with infected animal. The most common form of clinical manifestation is the anthrax of skin (45%) and the other forms include anthrax of asterointestinal and lung. Meningitis usually follows one of the three types of the disease and comprises less than 50/0 of the patients. Cutaneous form can be cured completely and if not treated it can cause bacteremia and meningitis. A 38 years old woman admitted to emergency department with a skin lesion on her right hand which had appeared one week before admission. At admission her chief complaints were fever, chills and confusion. She was in deep coma with a temperature of 38.5 °C and a blackish ulcer measured 3x4 cm surrounded with edema. Brain CT scan indicated cerebral edema and subarachnoid hemorrhage. In lumber puncture the CSF had a bloody appearance. The bacillus anthracis was seen in direct smear and on blood and skin lesion cultures. She was treated with penicillin and dexamethasone. Unfortunately she died ten hours after admission possibly due to meningoencephalitis secondary to her skin lesion. This type of the disease is rare.