title: [Neuromeningeal tuberculosis in northeastern suburbs of Paris. Nineteen cases].
abstract: METHODS
  Analyze characteristics of neuromeningeal tuberculosis in the northeastern suburbs of Paris.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 19 observations between 1988 and 1999.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen cases of meningitis, 3 cases of meningitis associated with a tuberculoma and 3 cases with isolated tuberculoma were described. Young subjects (average age 46.4), foreign born (73.7%) were preferentially affected. Three patients were infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. Weight-loss and weakness (84%), fever (79%), headache (63%) dominate the clinical manifestations. The diagnosis delay was 56.6 days, and the therapeutic time, 8.6 days. The search for acid fast bacilli was positive only in one case on direct examination of the cerebrospinal fluid, whereas the culture was positive in 68.7% of the cases. Cerebral imagery was abnormal in13 patients. Average duration of antituberculous treatment was 13,4 months (range: 9-24). Corticosteroids were associated in 12 patients. Thirteen patients were cured, 3 died and 3 were lost to follow up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The characteristics of neuromeningeal tuberculosis are not modified, but the diagnosis delay of the neuromeningeal tuberculosis, which conditions the prognosis, remains significant. The optimal duration of the antituberculous treatment and the conditions of the steroid therapy have to be specified.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Hôpital Jean-Verdier, 93143 Bondy Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Mylène
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grimaud-Ayina
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fain
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lortholary
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cruaud
authors.forename: Adrien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kettaneh
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stirnemann
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hornstein
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robineau
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Le Pennec
authors.forename: Pierrette
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boudon
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malbec
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mechali
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Desrues
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glowinski
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guillevin
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010297:Paris / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018881:Suburban Health; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*