Group A streptococcal meningitis: Report of two cases

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a very uncommon cause of bacterial meningitis, with less than 30 cases reported in the last quarter of a century. A recent worldwide increase in the incidence and severity of disease due to Streptococcus pyogenes has been observed. Although a rise of incidence of cases of GAS meningitis has not been shown, severe and fulminant cases have been reported in the literature in the last few years. We performed a retrospective analysis of the computer data of cerebrospinal fluid cultures from July 1987 to December 1995 at the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, and report two cases of GAS meninigitis: one with a primary infection acquired through bacteraemia, in a 2-month-old child, and another with meninigitis secondary to cranial surgery in a 75-year-old patient. The cases are discussed and a literature review is presented.