Community-acquired Escherichia coli meningitis with ventriculitis in an adult—a rare case report

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired gram-negative bacillary meningitis is rare to occur without preexisting conditions like trauma, organ dysfunction, and immunocompromised state, and very few case reports with Escherichia coli have been described in literature till now. Presence of ventriculitis along with meningitis makes the incidence further sparse. CASE PRESENTATION: A review of literature identified a total of only 45 community-acquired E. coli meningitis from 1945 till to date. Here, we have described a case of community-acquired E. coli meningitis with ventriculitis in an adult with past history of completely repaired CSF leak secondary to trauma nearly 23 years ago, without current radiological evidence of persistent CSF leak and therefore described as spontaneously acquired. Post-contrast T1 images of MRI were suggestive of subtle ependymal enhancement of ventricles, and patient was treated in lines of ventriculitis. Initial CSF was suggestive of acute pyogenic meningitis, and the organism grown was pan-sensitive E. coli. Patient was treated with antibiotics according to the culture sensitivity pattern and was given a prolonged course of 6 weeks of antibiotic therapy in view of ventriculitis. CONCLUSION: Community-acquired E. coli meningitis with possible ventriculitis in adults is described as a rare entity and is likely to be underrated and under-recognized.