Successful treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infection of an external ventricular drain with 2 weeks of intravenous linezolid

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is a common condition worldwide, and is frequently managed by diversion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), either externally with a drain or internally with a shunt. An external ventricular drain (EVD) can be an essential treatment modality, but is associated with a risk of infection, most commonly caused by Staphylococcal species, which can result in meningitis or ventriculitis and a delay in the definitive management of the hydrocephalus. Here, we report the case of a patient who required an EVD to manage post-operative hydrocephalus following a craniotomy and microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia. He subsequently developed EVD-associated infection with a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), which was treated successfully with a 2-week course of intravenous linezolid monotherapy. The authors believe this to be the only described case of successful treatment within this time frame of a CSF VRE infection associated with indwelling foreign material.