In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, immunosuppressive treatment with cytotoxic drugs or corticosteroids, proteinuria, renal insufficiency, and active SLE itself are known as risk factors for serious bacterial infections and opportunistic infections. Several opportunistic infections such as toxoplasmosis, nocardiosis, and cryptococcal meningitis have been reported to occur in patients with SLE and these can mimic neuropsychiatric lupus. Listeria monocytogenes is one of the pathogens of bacterial meningitis that is less commonly identified than Neisseira meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults, and shows the clinical manifestations, such as headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, mental changes and seizures similar to symptoms and signs of neuropsychiatric lupus. We report a case of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis in a patient with SLE who was admitted because of headache, nausea, vomiting and poor oral intake.

Keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus, Listeria monocytogenes meningitis, Neuropsychiatric lupus