title: Factors associated to the positive cerebrospinal fluid culture in the tuberculous meningitis.
abstract: Central nervous system involvement is the most common neurological complication in the course of tuberculosis. The lack of rapid and sensitive tests delays the early diagnosis. Here, we retrospectively reviewed the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination of 30 patients with tuberculous meningitis confirmed by bacteriological tests (culture and/or polymerase chain reaction). The purpose of the present study was to determine the CSF parameters associated to the positive CSF culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in tuberculous meningitis. We found higher frequency of positive CSF culture in patients infected with HIV as well in patients with high number of neutrophils and high protein content (characteristic in the early or acute-stage patients), which suggests that the positive culture found in these patients may be associated with the presence of high bacillary load in CSF occurring in these stages.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Medicina e Cirurgia, UNIRIO, Serviço de Patologia Clínica, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. mpuccioni@hucff.ufrj.br
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puccioni-Sohler
authors.forename: Carlos Otávio
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Brandão
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis