A severe case of meningococcal meningitis in which the petechial rash progressed to gangrene and required amputation of all limbs. The patient, Charlotte Cleverley-Bisman, became a poster child for a meningitis vaccination campaign in New Zealand.
People with meningitis may develop additional problems in the early stages of their illness. These may require specific treatment, and sometimes indicate severe illness or worse prognosis. The infection may trigger sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response syndrome of falling blood pressure, fast heart rate, high or abnormally low temperature and rapid breathing. Very low blood pressure may occur early, especially but not exclusively in meningococcal illness; this may lead to insufficient blood supply to other organs. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), the excessive activation of blood clotting, may lead both to the obstruction of blood flow to organs and a paradoxical increase of bleeding risk. In meningococcal disease, gangrene of limbs can occur.
The brain tissue may swell, with increasing pressure inside the skull and a risk of swollen brain tissue getting trapped. This may be noticed by a decreasing level of consciousness, loss of the pupillary light reflex, and abnormal positioning. Inflammation of the brain tissue may also obstruct the normal flow of CSF around the brain (hydrocephalus). Seizures may occur due to various reasons; in children, seizures are common in the early stages of meningitis (30% of cases) and do not necessarily indicate an underlying cause. Seizures may result from increased pressure and from areas of inflammation in the brain tissue. Focal seizures (seizures that involve one limb or part of the body), persistent seizures, late-onset seizures and those that are difficult to control with medication are indicators of a poorer long-term outcome.
The inflammation of the meninges may lead to abnormalities of the cranial nerves, a group of nerves arising from the brain stem that supply the head and neck area and control eye movement, facial muscles and hearing, among other functions. Visual symptoms and hearing loss may persist after an episode of meningitis (see below). Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or its blood vessels (cerebral vasculitis), as well as the formation of blood clots in the veins (cerebral venous thrombosis), may all lead to weakness, loss of sensation, or abnormal movement or function of the part of the body supplied by the affected area in the brain.
The above information thankfully comes from the en.wikipedia.org at the following link.
