Colonoscopy-Associated Listeriosis: Report of a Case

We report a case of meningitis due to Listeria monocytogenes that occurred following colon-oscopy. The patient had cirrhosis, a portosystemic shunt, and diarrhea for which she was being evaluated. Only one previous report has linked colonoscopy to listeriosis. We review the patho-genesis of listeriosis and, in particular, the evidence that prior fecal colonization is followed by bacteremia in a susceptible host. The findings in this case are consistent with this pathogenetic sequence. The pathogenesis of listeriosis is thought to involve food-borne acquisition followed by transient fecal colonization and bacteremia in a susceptible host. However, direct evi-dence linking fecal colonization to bacteremia is scant [1]. We report a case of listeriosis that occurred following colon-oscopy and supports this theory