Long Survival Following Bacterial Meningitis-Associated Brain Destruction

This report describes the brain autopsy of a boy who at age 4½ years experienced an episode of fulminant Haemophilus influenzae type b bacterial meningitis, resulting in massive brain destruction and the clinical signs of brain death. However, medical intervention maintained him for an additional two decades. Subsequent autopsy revealed a calcified intracranial spherical structure weighing 750 g and consisting of a calcified shell containing grumous material and cystic spaces with no recognizable neural elements grossly or microscopically. This case represents an example of long survival of brain death with a living body. (J Child Neurol 2006;21:591—595; DOI 10.2310/7010.2006.00137).