[Clinical aspects of tuberculous meningitis in children].
The aim of the study was to investigate the particularities of the clinical manifestation and evolution of tuberculous meningitis at children.


METHODS
The study was made between January 2000 and December 2008 in Clinic of Infectious Diseases IaSi and Emergency County Hospital ,,Sf. Ioan cel Nou" Suceava on a group of 169 children with tuberculous meningitis.


RESULTS
The majority (78.1%) of patients had poor socio-economic conditions and 22.4$ had a family TB contact. The onset of the symptoms was atypical in infants and small children with fever associated with digestive, neurological or pulmonary manifestations. The admission in hospital was delayed in 56.8% of patients and 39.05% had a severe general status with coma. The positive diagnosis was based on cytological and biochemical features of CSF, results of QuantilFERON. TB Gold, pulmonary images, family TB contact and evolution under anti-tuberculous therapy. We observed a high rate of complications represented by hydrocephaly (28.9%). 18 patients died (4 infants), the cause of dead being meningeal coma or complications.


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis at children remains a problem because of the atypical clinical manifestation, the delay of initiating the therapy causing high mortality and frequent complications.
Doctorand al Universităţii de Medicină şi Farmacie Gr.T. Popa Iaşi.
Olga Adriana
OA
Caliman-Sturdza
Doina
D
Mihalache
Cătălina Mihaela
CM
Luca
Carmen
C
Dorobăţ
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003128:Coma / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000382:microbiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality