Rapid Diagnosis of Meningococcal Meningitis in a Patient With Familial Mediterranean Fever by the FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel: A Case Report

Abstract

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a rare autoinflammatory disorder of the innate immune system. Patients with innate immune system defects are at a high risk of meningococcal disease, although it is unclear if patients with FMF also have increased susceptibility to invasive infection. Herein, we present a diagnostically challenging case of a male adolescent with a past medical history of FMF stabilized on colchicine who presented with some of the early clinical features of community—acquired bacterial meningitis. To our knowledge, this is the first case of meningococcal meningitis in a patient with FMF diagnosed with the FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) Panel. This case report demonstrates that rapid detection of Neisseria meningitidis by the ME Panel can aid in the early diagnosis and prompt treatment of patients with suspected meningitis and may be the only positive test in patients with early presentation and/or prior antimicrobial therapy.