Figure 1
Neuroimaging findings in patients with pneumococcal involvement of the brain in our study group
| Patient No. | Sex | Age at first scan | No. of scans | Age at last scan | Follow-up period on MRI | Meningeal enhancement | Meningeal empyema(s) | Vasculitis with brain infarcts | Cavities | Hydrocephalus | Surgical, neurological and developmental sequelae |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M | 1st month | 3 | 11 years | 11 years | + | − | − | − | + | Epilepsy; CP (marked quadriplegic paresis); severe intellectual disability; PEG; lying obese patient; severe scoliosis; history of aspiration pneumonias |
| 2 | M | 4/12 | 1 | − | 0 | + | − | − | + | − | Died |
| 3 | F | 6/12 | 1 | − | 0 | + | + | + | + | + | 8 months post-IPD: delayed psychomotor development, left peripheral facial paresis, reduced muscle tone, discrete left hemiparesis, does not focus the eyes |
| 4 | M | 7/12 | 2 | 31/12 | 2 years | + | − | + | + | − | 4 years post-IPD: epilepsy with focal seizures, CP (mild right hemiparesis) |
| 5 | M | 8/12 | 5 | 6 years | 5 years | + | + | + | − | + | 6 years post-IPD: reduced muscle tone, discrete paresis of left hand, severe intellectual disability; history of ventriculoperitoneal shunt and revisions |
| 6 | M | 13/12 | 2 | 14/12 | 4 weeks | + | + | − | − | − | lost from further follow-up |
| 7 | M | 15/12 | 3 | 19/12 | 4/12 | + | − | + | + | + | lost from further follow-up |
| 8 | F | 16/12 | 2 | 16/12 | 11 days | + | − | + | − | + | 2 years post-IPD: moderate left spastic paresis leg>hand; history of trepanobiopsy for chronic hygromas–haematomas |
| 9 | M | 4 years | 8 | 16 years | 12 years | + | − | + | + | + | Coma, then vegetative state; severe spastic quadriplegic paresis; lying patient; history of, ventriculoperitoneal shunt and revisions and of aspiration pneumonias |
| 10 | M | 5 years | 1 | − | 0 | + | + | + | − | − | Lost from follow-up |