ABSTRACT
Meningeal inflammation can be viral, bacterial, or fungal in origin-the latter two being of concern in the treatment of cancer patients. Neurosurgical patients face particular risk factors predisposing them to postoperative wound infection: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, concurrent non-CNS infection, and perioperative antibiotic therapy. Additional, less significant, risk factors include paranasal sinus entry, placement of a foreign body, and use of a postoperative drain [2]. While relatively rare overall, postoperative wound infections, classified as either deep or superficial, occur more frequently following craniotomy (4.9%) than following spinal (0.9%) or other clean neurosurgery with the level of infection risk varying II-fold depending upon the type ofprocedure performed [3]. Immunocompromised patients frequently suffer from nosocomial meningitis because of extended neutropenia or following a transplant [4]. Patients with a history of alcohol abuse or diabetes stand at increased risk of infection [5].
