[Purulent Staphylococcus aureus meningitis].

Retrospective study of 14 cases of Staphylococcus aureus meningitis and of data from the literature shows that this as yet infrequent disease which carries a high mortality rate (40%) is always related to neurosurgery, primary or iatrogenic septicemia, or local infection, usually in the lumbar area (spinal, abscess, spondylitis). The major clinical problem is the search for the meningeal lead point of Staphylococcus aureus penetration, whose eradication is more essential than in usual bacterial meningitis. Prognosis is mainly dependent upon the eventual existence of associated severe septicemia. Antibiotics active on Peni-M resistant Staphylococcus aureus and meningeal infection are reviewed.