title: [Evaluating 82 cases of tuberculous meningitis].
abstract: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is not the most common but the most serious clinical form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Serious complications resulting from difficulties in diagnosis and treatment of the disease makes it an important health problem. In our study, 82 patients with TBM, followed up in our clinic between January 1998-December 2002, are evaluated with their clinical and laboratory properties. 52% of our patients were females, 48% were males and their ages ranged from 15 to 70 with a mean of 32 years. The diagnosis was based on patients' history, clinical and laboratory properties, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings and radiographic findings. 59% of our patients were grade II clinically, 29% were grade I, and 23% were grade III. Mostly observed complaints were headache (87%) and nausea-vomiting (63%) and fever (45%) and mostly seen physical findings were stiff neck (70%), alterations in consciousness (57%). Pleocytosis in CSF was detected in 94%, low CSF glucose level in 87%, and elevated CSF protein level in 82% of the patients. From CSF samples of 40 patients, out of total 82, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated on Loewenstein-Jensen medium (49%). Nineteen patients had tuberculomas, 13 had basal meningitis, and 11 had hydrocephalus on cranial radiographic studies. 28% had miliary pattern and 26% had active infiltration and cavities on chest roentgenogram. A four-drug antituberculous regimen was administered for 88% of the patients and dexamethasone treatment was administered for 75%; 56 (68.3%) patients recovered from the illness, 14 (17%) patients had slight and 4 (4.9%) patients had serious neurological sequeales and 8 (9.8%) patients died in spite of tuberculous therapy. As a conclusion, TBM is an infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. Various prognosis patterns may be observed according to the clinical grade of the patient on application. When suspected, an early diagnosis and early treatment of the disease are the most important factors which effect complication and mortality rates.
authors.affiliation: Haseki Education and Research Hospital Clinics of Infection Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey. drgonul@hasekihastanesi.gov.tr
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sengöz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology