Central nervous system infections caused by carbapenem-resistant klebsiella pneumoniae after CAR T-cell therapy in a patient with preexisting colonization: a case report and literature review.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the risk factors for corresponding infections following chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell infusion in Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) carriers and to provide insights for managing such cases.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, treatment, and prognosis of a patient with preexisting colonization who developed CRE intracranial infection after CAR T-cell therapy. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to explore optimal antibiotic strategies for CRE-associated central nervous system infections.

RESULTS

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected in perianal swabs before preconditioning chemotherapy, and the patient subsequently received high-dose corticosteroids for cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome following CAR T-cell infusion. Despite broad-spectrum coverage, recurrent fevers and convulsions ensued. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid on day +14 confirmed Kbsiella pneumoniae infection, later identified as a multidrug-resistant strain. Clinical and microbiological clearance was achieved following combination therapy centered on intravenous ceftazidime-avibactam, supplemented with intrathecal polymyxin B, guided by antibiotic susceptibility testing. The patient ultimately died three months later due to lymphoma progression.

CONCLUSION

Defining optimal management strategies for CRE carriers is essential to integrate infection risk mitigation into the personalized framework of CAR T-cell therapy.