Listeria monocytogenes rhomboencephalitis with cranial-nerve palsies: a case report.

Listeria monocytogenes rhomboencephalitis is an uncommon complication of L. monocytogenes meningitis. It presents in a typical biphasic pattern characterized by a non-specific prodromal period followed by any combination of asymmetrical, cranial-nerve palsies; cerebellar signs; hemiparesis or hypesthesia; and diminished consciousness. The survival rate is greater than 70% when appropriate antibiotic therapy is initiated early. However, approximately 60 percent of the survivors develop neurological sequelae. We present the case of a 33-year-old woman who developed L. monocytogenes meningitis with subsequent rhomboencephalitis and cranial-nerve palsie, and review the literature on this syndrome.