Thirty-eight cases of meningitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, occurring from 1966 to 1981 at six hospitals associated with the University of Toronto Faculty of medicine, were reviewed. Thirteen patients were children and 25 were adults. Patients were categorised into three groups: Group A (16)--meningitis related to neurosurgery, trauma or cerebrospinal defects; Group B (7)--meningitis occurring with indwelling ventricular shunts; and Group C (15)--spontaneously occurring meningitis. Bacterial endocarditis was associated with one-third of the spontaneously occurring meningitis cases and this group in general ran a more fulminant course. Meningitis related to a ventricular shunt exhibited a more insidious onset with a lower case-fatality rate, similar to the experience with Gram-negative bacillary meningitis. Gram stain of the cerebrospinal fluid was positive in only one-third of cases. Treatment with cloxacillin, administered parenterally, achieved results similar to those with methicillin, while chloramphenicol was associated with a high failure rate.