Der Nervenarzt
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Review Case Reports
[Bacterial meningitis as a complication of Fusobacterium necroforum infection in adults].
Fusobacterium necrophorum, an anaerobic, gram-negative rod, belongs to the physiological flora of the oropharynx. It causes Lemierre's syndrome characterized by oropharyngeal infection, septic thrombophlebitis of the neck, in particular of the internal jugular vein, and metastatic abscesses, predominantly in the lungs. Rarely, and mainly in children, it causes meningitis. ⋯ After the identification of F. necrophorum, the antibiotic treatment was changed to meropenem, which led to continuous improvement of the clinical symptoms. Due to persistent signs of inflammation in the CSF, metronidazole was added to the antibiotic regime. This case report demonstrates that F. necrophorum should always be considered in the diagnostic workup of bacterial meningitis in adults.
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Primary headache syndromes, such as cluster and migraine, are widely described as vascular headaches, even though there is considerable clinical evidence to suggest that both conditions are primarily central, that is regulated by the brain. The shared anatomical and physiological substrate for both clinical syndromes is the neural innervation of the cranial circulation. ⋯ This article reviews findings in the physiology of the trigeminovascular system which demand renewed consideration of the neural influences in many primary headaches and the physiology of the neural innervation of cranial circulation. Primary headaches should thus be regarded as neurovascular headaches to emphasize the interaction between nerves and vessels which is their underlying characteristic.