Variability in the Clinical Manifestations of Meningeal Encephalitis due to Tuberculosis

• Main Authors: María Cristina Soto, Olmedo Ferrer Ocando, Yenny Ferrer Ocando, Armando Hernández Pernía, Melvis Arteaga de Vizcaíno, Arelis Ferrer Ocando, Liliam González
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Universidad del Zulia,Facultad de Medicina,Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Tropicales 2010
• Subjects: meningoencefalitis; tuberculosis; síndrome meníngeo; líquido cefalorraquídeo; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Mara
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/91766e6568a94ff9a81a0fa57ff0c143

With the objective of describing clinical manifestations in patients with meningeal encephalitis due to tuberculosis (TBC), a descriptive, retrospective study was made by reviewing clinical histories of 15 adult patients with a diagnosis of TBC in the SAHUM neurology service from January 2002 to December 2008. Age, sex, clinical manifestations, hospitalization and treatment were analyzed. Of the 15 patients, 10 (66.67%) were female, 9 (60.0%) were between 20 and 29 years of age; 53.34% came from the Mara and Páez Municipalities. The clinical manifestations were: headache and nape of the neck rigidity, 14 (93.33%); alteration of consciousness, 13 (86.67%); alteration of mental state, 7 (46.66%); convulsions, 8 (53.33%); intracranial hypertension, 5 (33.33%); motor deficit, 3 (20.00%); alteration of cranial pairs, 2 (13.33%) as a false locator sign and diplopia, 2 (13.33%). Cytochemical study of the cerebrospinal fluid revealed hypoglycorrhachia in 100.00% of the patients. Ziehl Neelsen coloration was positive in 1 (6.67%). Six patients (40.00%) had had the disease for more than 1 month. Conclusions were that the clinical manifestations of meningeal encephalitis due to TBC are diverse, with the meningeal syndrome as the most frequent.