title: Tuberculous meningitis in Asian patients.
abstract: 17 cases of tuberculous meningitis were seen in Leicester hospitals over a 5 year period; 15 of the patients were Asian. Treatment had often been delayed because presentation of the disease was non-specific and the cereobrospinal fluid findings were atypical. The average interval between the onset of symptoms and admission to hospital was 2 weeks (the shortest period was 5 days). Of the 10 patients admitted with disturbance of consciousness 5 died, whereas all 7 who were alert on admission survived. It is essential to exclude tuberculous meningitis in any Asian patient with a persistent febrile illness even if meningism is not evident, since patients who progress to the later stages of the disease often die or are left disabled.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality