Diagnosis of Mycoplasma hominis Meningitis with Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing: A Case Report

Abstract

Background

Mycoplasma hominis meningitis is a rare postoperative complication of neurosurgery. Accurate and early diagnosis of M. hominis remains challenging because of the limitations of traditional detection methods. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is an advanced technique with high sensitivity and specificity for identifying infectious pathogens; however, its application in diagnosing M. hominis meningitis has not been widely studied.

Case Presentation

We report the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with fever and headache after neurosurgical treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage. Empiric antibiotic therapy was ineffective. Traditional culture of pathogens and serological testing yielded negative results, but M. hominis was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid by mNGS. After further verification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the patient’s clinical treatment was adjusted accordingly. With targeted antibiotic intervention, the patient’s symptoms were effectively alleviated, and clinical indicators returned to normal levels. Furthermore, the abundance of M. hominis decreased significantly compared to the initial mNGS reading after targeted treatment, indicating that the infection caused by M. hominis was effectively controlled.

Conclusion

Using mNGS, we found that M. hominis may be a candidate causative agent of meningitis. The technique also has the advantage of timeliness and accuracy that traditional cultures cannot achieve. A combination of mNGS with PCR is recommended to identify pathogens in the early stages of infectious diseases to administer targeted clinical medication.

Keywords:

• Mycoplasma hominis
• meningitis
• metagenomic next-generation sequencing
• cerebrospinal fluid
• case report

Abbreviations

mNGS, metagenomic next-generation sequencing; CNS, central nervous system; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; CT, computed tomography; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; MIC, minimum inhibitory concentrations.

Data Sharing Statement

All data generated or analysed during this study are included within the article [and its additional files]. The M.hominis DNA sequence assembled using the mNGS data have also been deposited in GenBank database with the accession number PRJNA819667 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA819667).

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

The study was approved by the ethics committee of Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital (2022-27), and the patient consented for publication of his clinical data.

Consent for Publication

Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor of this journal.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the clinical and laboratory staffs contributed in the case.We also thank the staffs of Guangzhou Sagene Biotech Co., Ltd. for technical support.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding to report.