PRIMARY BACILLUS PYOCYANEUS MENINGITIS

Abstract
Primary systemic Bacillus pyocyaneus infection is infrequent enough to merit discussion. This organism is usually considered as being of low pathogenicity, manifesting its presence occasionally as a secondary invader in localized pyogenic processes. Indeed, it has been found as an apparently nonpathogenic cutaneous parasite, showing some predilection for warm, moist, flexor surfaces. It is found as a secondary invader in such conditions as furuncles, infected wounds and septic pneumonia. It was formerly thought that even in these local infections B. pyocyaneus occurred only as a nonpathogenic parasite. Kossel1 collected a few cases from the literature, all in children in whom a fatal illness was found to be due to an infection of the blood stream with this organism. In another review of the literature, Rolly2 collected a series of cases of infections of internal organs in which Bacillus pyocyaneus was either the sole or an associate invader. In this list