Klebsiella pneumoniae-related invasive liver abscess syndrome complicated by purulent meningitis: a review of the literature and description of three cases

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases 2021-01, Vol.21 (1), p.15-15, Article 15
• Main Authors: Sun, Ruixue, Zhang, Hui, Xu, Yingchun, Zhu, Huadong, Yu, Xuezhong, Xu, Jun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Blood platelets; Blood pressure; Blood tests; Body temperature; Care and treatment; Case Report; Case reports; Causes of; Cerebrospinal fluid; China; Complications and side effects; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diagnosis; Emergency medical care; Fatal Outcome; Female; Fever; Glucose; Heart rate; Hemoglobin; Hemorrhage; Humans; Infectious diseases; Inflammation; Intensive care; Klebsiella; Klebsiella infections; Klebsiella Infections - cerebrospinal fluid; Klebsiella Infections - complications; Klebsiella Infections - drug therapy; Klebsiella Infections - microbiology; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Klebsiella pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Literature reviews; Liver; Liver abscess; Liver Abscess - complications; Liver Abscess - drug therapy; Liver diseases; Male; Medical imaging; Meningitis; Meningitis, Bacterial - complications; Meningitis, Bacterial - drug therapy; Metastases; Middle Aged; Mortality; Neutrophils; Pathogenesis; Patients; Prognosis; Proteins; Sepsis; Streptococcus infections; Syndrome; Ventilators; Virulence; Virulence factors; Vital signs; Wound drainage
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05702-3

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) invasive liver abscess syndrome (ILAS) with purulent meningitis was rarely identified the mainland of China. Last winter, we received 3 cases of K. pneumoniae meningitis and all of them died in a short time. We report these cases in order to find the reason of high mortality and discuss effective effort to improve these patients' prognosis. Three patients with uncontrolled diabetes developed live abscess and purulent meningitis. Upon admission, the clinical manifestations, laboratory result of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and imaging examinations were compatible with K. pneumoniae ILAS which had metastasis infection of meningitis. Even with timely adequate antibiotic therapy and strict glycemic control, all of the patients' condition deteriorated rapidly and died in a short time. The reason of patients' poor prognosis might be the absence of liver abscess drainage, high level of CSF protein which indicates severe inflammation and unknown special but stronger virulence factors of K. pneumoniae the patients' living place Zhangjiakou. Strict glycemic control, early drainage of liver abscess and appropriate antibiotic application are recommended for treating this condition, further progress on the pathogenesis and treatment of K. pneumoniae meningitis may help patients gain a better prognosis.