title: Central system nervous tuberculosis in infants.
abstract: The lack of specific symptoms and signs in patients with tuberculous meningitis makes early diagnosis difficult. In this report, we reviewed the clinical features and laboratory findings of 6 infants with central system nervous tuberculosis during a 10-year period. One of the patients had multifocal tuberculosis. The mean time to the diagnosis was 32 +/- 13.4 days. A contact source was identified in only 2 patients. All 6 patients had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid findings, less than 500 cells/microL with lymphocytic predominance. Computerized tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hydrocephalus with basal enhancement in 2 patients. One patient developed pontocerebellar and pituitary tuberculomas, which were responsible for compression and diabetes insipidus, 1 year after antituberculous treatment. These localizations are very rare. On the follow-up, 3 patients had hypoacousia and only 1 had severe sequelae, despite a diagnostic delay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics B, Children's Hospital of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia. faten.tinsa@hotmail.fr
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tinsa
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Essaddam
authors.forename: Zohra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fitouri
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boussetta
authors.forename: Saida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Becher
authors.forename: Souad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bousnina
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003919:Diabetes Insipidus / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D011149:Pons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016862:Tuberculoma, Intracranial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D020306:Tuberculosis, Central Nervous System / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology