Mollaret’s meningitis is a rare neurological disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of aseptic lymphocytic meningitis, often associated with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection. We report the case of a 39 y.o. Italian woman who experienced four episodes of aseptic lymphocytic meningitis between 2004 and 2023, diagnosed as Mollaret’s meningitis. In each episode, the patient presented with fever, severe headache and photophobia. In two episodes cutaneous vesicles in the left gluteal area preceding meningitis symptoms were also reported. A diagnostic evaluation included a physical–chemical analysis and a real-time PCR of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The CSF presented pleocytosis with lymphocytic predominance and a positive HSV-2 load, with a peak of 1234 copies/mL. The patient was treated successfully with acyclovir, and the symptoms resolved without neurological sequelae. This case highlights the importance of comprehensive diagnostic testing and vigilant monitoring to manage Mollaret’s syndrome effectively.

Acute central nervous system (CNS) infections, such as meningitis and encephalitis, represent medical emergencies that require rapid identification of the causative pathogen to guide appropriate therapeutic interventions. The QIAstat-Dx^® Meningitis/Encephalitis (QIA/ME) is a molecular syndromic panel that enables the simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens and provides the visualization of cycle threshold (Ct) values, offering rapid results for prompt clinical management. This study retrospectively tested, with the QIA/ME panel, 170 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with CNS infections, confirmed through routine diagnostic workflows. The results were compared with those obtained from bacterial culture and singleplex PCR for viral detection. The QIA/ME demonstrated 100% concordance with reference methods for bacterial and yeast infections. For viral infections, the overall detection rate was 85.9%. Specifically, when singleplex PCR results exceeded 250 copies/mL for DNA viruses and 500 copies/mL for the RNA virus, the concordance rate with the QIA/ME was 96.8%. In contrast, when PCR values were below these thresholds, the concordance rate dropped to 43.8%. A strong overall correlation was observed between the viral load measured by singleplex PCR and Ct values from the QIA/ME (ρ = −0.83, p < 0.001). Only for enterovirus a weak correlation was found (ρ = −0.40, p = 0.056). The QIA/ME panel is an effective diagnostic tool for viral CNS infections, allowing for the visualization of Ct values that reflect pathogen load in samples and which could be useful in guiding clinical decision-making and patient management.

Background: The impact of early administration of active anti-enterococcal empirical therapy (EET) on outcomes of patients with enterococcal bloodstream infections (EBSIs) is unclear. We compared the outcome of patients with EBSIs receiving or not empirical therapy targeting Enterococcus spp. Methods: A retrospective multicenter study enrolling all hospitalized patients with monomicrobial EBSIs during 2011–2019. The exposure variable was considered receiving EET defined as administration of antibiotic(s) active in vitro against Enterococcus spp isolated from index blood cultures (BCs) ≤48 hours from collection. The primary outcome was 14- and 30-day all-cause mortality from index BC. The impact of EET on mortality was assessed by Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariable Cox regression after adjustment with inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW). Post hoc analysis explored the effect of EET given ≤24 hours from EBSI onset. Results: Overall, 758 patients (male, 62%; median age, 71 years) had EBSIs and 342 received EET; 14- and 30-day mortality was 24% and 42%, respectively. After IPTW adjustment, a higher number of comorbidities and EBSIs without an identified source but not EET were independent predictors of 14- and 30-day mortality. No significant mortality risk reduction was associated with EET in the real or the IPTW-adjusted analysis. In the subgroup analysis, EET reduced 14-day mortality only in patients with vancomycin-resistant EBSIs. Even among 237 (31%) patients receiving EET <24 hours from EBSI onset, EET did not affect survival. Conclusions: Early administration of EET may not have a prognostic impact in patients with EBSIs. Delivering EET might affect short-term survival only in patients with vancomycin-resistant EBSIs.