Meningococcal Disease Presenting with Acute Myopericarditis and Concurrent Acute Meningitis

Abstract

Emergency department physicians uncommonly associate myopericarditis with bacterial infection and, even more rarely, encounter myopericarditis caused by meningococcal infection. This case report describes a 38-year-old man who presented with chest pain, electrocardiographic changes, and cardiac biomarkers consistent with acute myopericarditis and rapidly developed central nervous system symptoms that were concerning for acute bacterial meningitis. The diagnosis of Neisseria meningitidis infection was confirmed by blood cultures. Once identified, the patient made a full recovery following a course of intravenous antibiotic therapy. This case underscores the difficulty of diagnosing this rare, but potentially life-threatening, condition in the emergency department.