Meningoencefalite da Listeria in oncologia pediatrica

Report on two cases of Listeria-induced meningoencephalitis in a child aged 19 months with pre-B lymphatic leukemia, slightly neutropenic, and a child aged 15 years with T lymphatic leukemia, not neutropenic but lymphopenic. The disease rapidly evolved with hydrocephalus in the first case (derivation) and coma in the second case. Listeria is to be considered amongst the main diagnostic hypotheses in immunodepressed children. Moreover, it should be recalled that it is resistant to cephalosporins and sensitive to penicillin and ampicillin.