Clinical and radiological manifestations of listeriosis of the nervous system - three cases report.

Listeria monocytogenes, a Gram-positive bacterium, can cause infections of the nervous system, such as meningitis or encephalitis, with a particular tendency to affect the posterior part of the brain. It can rarely lead to brain abscesses as well. This microorganism is most commonly pathogenic for fetuses, newborns, older individuals, alcoholics, and immunocompromised individuals. The aim of the study was to present three cases of central nervous system listeriosis. Two of presented cases were rhombencephalitis in males without identified predisposing factors. The third case involved a female patient with listerial meningitis during treatment for lymphoma with monoclonal antibodies and vincristine. Neuroimaging of the central nervous system, lumbar punctures, and additional tests were performed in all patients. Antibiotic therapy was administered to all patients according to the literature recommendations. The patient with meningitis was transferred for further treatment to the infectious diseases department. Both patients with rhombencephalitis required treatment in the Intensive Care Unit. One of them unfortunately passed away, while the other required surgical decompression of the posterior cranial fossa and ventricular cerebrospinal fluid drainage, and survived. Listeriosis of the central nervous system is a serious disease, and the number of diagnoses has been increasing in recent years, with cases of rhombencephalitis associated with significant mortality rates. Timely diagnosis is crucial for successful treatment, which is facilitated by the availability of molecular tests in modern times. Diagnosis and treatment require a multidisciplinary approach involving neurologists, radiologists, intensivists, and sometimes even neurosurgeons.