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Central Nervous System Infections in Neutropenic Cancer Patients

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Infections in Neutropenic Cancer Patients

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Abstract

Neutropenic cancer patients are more susceptible to central nervous system (CNS) infections due to impaired host defense mechanisms (Zunt, Neurol Clin 20(1):1–22, 2002). Clinical diagnosis can be challenging due to subtle or atypical presentation or symptoms (Zunt, Neurol Clin 20:1–22, 2002; Lukes et al. Neurology 34(3):269–275, 1984; Schmidt-Hieber et al. Ann Oncol 27(7):1207–1225, 2016). CNS infections typically manifest as four clinical syndromes that may overlap. These are meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, and post-surgical neurological infections (Schmidt-Hieber et al. Ann Oncol 27(7):1207–1225, 2016).

Risk factors for CNS infections in this patient population depend on age, type of malignancy, duration of neutropenia, treatment used (type of a transplant, chemotherapy, steroids, immunosuppressant agents, neurosurgical interventions), and environmental exposures.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Shylah M. Moore-Pardo MD

  2. Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

    Olga Klinkova MD

Authors
  1. Shylah M. Moore-Pardo MD
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  2. Olga Klinkova MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Ana Paula Velez

  2. James Haley VA Hospital, USF Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA

    Jorge Lamarche

  3. Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, USF Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA

    John N. Greene

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Moore-Pardo, S.M., Klinkova, O. (2019). Central Nervous System Infections in Neutropenic Cancer Patients. In: Velez, A., Lamarche, J., Greene, J. (eds) Infections in Neutropenic Cancer Patients. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21859-1_1

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