Subdural empyema in a 14-year-old female initially diagnosed as meningitis: a case report of a rare Streptococcus constellatus infection
Mohammad Abu Thiab, Ahmad Rjoub, Belal Mohamed, Shailendra Magdum · 2026
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Description
Abu Thiab and colleagues report a 14-year-old girl whose brain infection was first mistaken for meningitis, in a 2026 child health case report. Subdural empyema, a pus pocket between the brain and its outer membrane, is life-threatening and mimics meningitis closely. The healthy teenager arrived with severe headache, neck stiffness, light sensitivity, and vomiting after an upper airway illness with foul-smelling nasal discharge. The picture pointed toward a sinus source for the infection spreading inward.
Blood tests showed marked inflammation, with C-reactive protein above 320 milligrams per liter, while scans showed a 6-millimeter subdural collection shifting the brain's midline. Surgeons performed endoscopic sinus surgery plus a bilateral craniotomy to drain the pus, and cultures grew Streptococcus constellatus, an abscess-forming bacterium unusual in teenage brains. Targeted antibiotics and rehab followed, and she improved steadily. Abu Thiab urges imaging whenever meningitis-like illness comes with focal nerve signs.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Mohammad Abu Thiab, Ahmad Rjoub, Belal Mohamed, Shailendra Magdum |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 42 KB |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |