An unusual manifestation of a neonatal Chlamydia infection.

A 25-day-old boy was admitted to hospital because of pneumonia and additionally developed symptoms of encephalitis. The immune fluorescence test for Chlamydia trachomatis in tracheal fluids was positive. Furthermore, ligase chain reaction for C trachomatis was positive in the cerebrospinal fluid. The antibiotic regimen was changed to erythromycin intravenously. C trachomatis encephalitis is rare in neonates and may result from a defect in the alternative pathway of complement activation which was the case in this patient.