The Back Burn: A Case Report of Mollaret’s Meningitis in a Young Male

Authors

• Muneeba Ali, MD, Jefferson Abington HospitalFollow
• Lubaba Mukhtar, MD, Jefferson Abington HospitalFollow
• Warda Naqvi, MD, Jefferson Abington HospitalFollow
• Joseph Hassey, MD, Jefferson Abington HospitalFollow
• Muhammad Ayub, MD, Jefferson Abington HospitalFollow

Abstract

Mollaret’s syndrome, or benign recurrent aseptic meningitis, is a rare condition characterized by recurrent, self-limited episodes of aseptic meningitis. We present the case of a 49-year-old male with a past medical history of herpes meningitis as a teenager, who presented to the emergency department (ED) with a headache, and whose initial lumbar puncture results were consistent with viral meningitis. HSV-2 was detectable in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) DNA by PCR but not detected on quantitative PCR. He was diagnosed with Mollaret’s meningitis, and all intravenous antiviral therapy was discontinued, with the patient making a full recovery. This case highlights the important diagnostic considerations for this condition and discusses the outcomes of various management plans.

Recommended Citation

Ali, MD, Muneeba; Mukhtar, MD, Lubaba; Naqvi, MD, Warda; Hassey, MD, Joseph; and Ayub, MD, Muhammad (2026) "The Back Burn: A Case Report of Mollaret’s Meningitis in a Young Male," The Medicine Forum: Vol. 27, Article 31.
Available at: https://jdc.jefferson.edu/tmf/vol27/iss1/31