Otitis Media in the Pathogenesis of Neonatal Meningitis with Group B Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus

Abstract

In this report, a premature black male infant was found at autopsy to have bilateral otitis media, mastoiditis, and suppurative meningitis due to group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GB-BHS). The pathogenetic pathway proposed for this early onset meningitis is of importance in late onset meningitis. This patient clearly demonstrates the critical importance of examining middle ear and mastoid, both clinically and at autopsy, in the neonate colonized with this organism.