Clinical characteristics of meningitis in adults

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 15(5); 1997 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1997;15(5): 1050-1063.

성인 뇌수막염의 임상양상

박선아, 천화영, 최일생

연세대학교 의대 신경과

Clinical characteristics of meningitis in adults

Sun Ah Park, M.D. , Hwa Young Cheon, M.D. , Il Saing Choi, M.D.

Dept of Neurology, College of Medicine, Yonsei Univ.

Abstract

The meningitis occur within a closed anatomic space, so they have many similar clinical features and characteristic CSF abnormalities. But the temporal profile of many meningitis is distinctive from aseptic meningitis with spontaneous remission to bacterial or tuberculous meningitis with fatal outcome without treatment. Therefore early accurate differential diagnosis is required. The development of diagnostic tools and treatment, and increase of immunodeficient state and resistant pathogens have changed the distribution of main pathogens of meningitis from the past. Therefore we analyzed 241 medical records with final diagnosis as 'infectious meningitis' to evaluate the distribution of pathogens in Korea and any differential points of clinical, laboratory, and radiologic, profile according to etiology. 1.The etiologic distributions were followings, Aseptic meningitis in 100 patient(41.5%), tuberculous meningitis in 58 patients(24.1%), bacterial meningitis in 48 patients(19.9%), and fungal in 16 patients(6.6%). 2.The intense seasonal occurrence was noted in aseptic meningitis with summer. 3.Fever and headache were noted in almost all patients Altered mental status were noted in 39.6% of bacterial meningitis, 53.41% of tuberculous meningitis but not in fungal and aseptic meningitis. Meningeal irritation signs were noted in less patients(25%) with fungal meningitis but in more with aseptic, bacterial or tuberculous meningitis m 52-66.7%. Most of all focal neurologic signs were present in bacterial or tuberculous meningitis. 4.Many immunocompromized patients had fungal meningitis, three of which showed normal CSF leukocyte counts And it pointed up the importance of intensive etiologic evaluation in immunodeficient patients with clinically suspected symptoms of meningitis. 5.CSF findings at admission were following. CSF leukocytes were mean 206-258/yL in aseptic, tuberculous or fungal meningitis. But in bacterial meningitis leukocyte counts were greater than 1,000/mL in mom than half of patients. The differential counts of leukocytes were monocyte predominant except in bacterial meningitis. The reductions of CSF sugar were noted in bacterial, tuberculous, or fungal meningitis. Characteristically all patients with extremely low CSF sugar(less than 10mg/dL) had bacterial meningitis. 6.The most frequent pathologic findings in neuroimaging study were hydrocephalus(20patients: 9.1%) and meningeal enhancement(19patient,: 8.6%). Small enhancing mass(8patients: 3.6%.) and focal infarction(8patients: 3.6%) were noted less frequently. These abnormal radiologic findings were noted in 2 patients(2.0%) with aseptic meningitis, 15 patients(38.7%) with bacterial meningitis, 29 patients(50.0%) with tuberculous meningitis and 5 patients(35.7%) with fungal meningitis