[Neurolisteriosis in adults: report of six clinical cases].

INTRODUCTION: Listeria monocytogenes shows a special attraction to infect the central nervous system and its meningeals coats. It affects newborn as well as elderly people, patients with deficiencies in their cellular immune systems, and healthy adults. It presents most commonly as an acute meningitis, although it can present itself as cerebritis, brain stem encephalitis (rhomboencephalitis), and exceptionally as myelitis.

PATIENTS: We describe six clinical cases of neurolisterioris, five of which in healthy adults; we also describe the images and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings,

RESULTS: Three patients contracted acute meningitis, one of them meningoencephalitis, one cerebritis and the last one rhomboencephalitis. The CSF was turbid or slightly turbid with normal glycorrachia in three patients. The diagnosis was made in five through culture of CSF. The patient with the rhomboencephalitis had brain stem microabscesses in the brain magnetic resonance. All the patients had a good outcome under antibiotics treatment.

CONCLUSION: Neurolisteriosis has to be kept in mind as a feasible diagnosis not only in immunocompromised but also in newborn as well as elderly patients. It should also be taken into account in young healthy adults living in regions under poor sanitary conditions where there is no adequate control of food manufacturing.