MENINGITIS DUE TO STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS HAEMOLYTICUS TREATED WITH SULFANILAMIDE

In reviewing the literature of the septic meningitides, one is impressed by the relatively high mortality. Holt and McIntosh¹ stated that the course of staphylococcic meningitis is usually rapidly progressive and almost invariably terminates in death. However, isolated reports of recovery from staphylococcic meningitis have appeared in the literature at intervals. The occurrence is still sufficiently rare to justify addition of our case to the small series on record.

Schless² has given an excellent review of the literature for the period up to 1932. He found instances in which recovery occurred on removal of a focus adjacent to the meninges. Analysis reveals that in the majority of these cases the condition must be considered not as true generalized meningitis but rather as a local process which cleared promptly on surgical intervention. To date (June 1938) only 8 cases of staphylococcic meningitis in which recovery occurred have been reported