IJSR - International Journal of Scientific Research

Deepika Joshi; Baidyanath Kumar; Vijay Nath Mishra; Rameshwar Nath Chaurasia; Abhishek Pathak

Volume : VIII, Issue : VIII, August - 2019

Clinioradiological Profile of chronic meningitis: study from a tertiary care centre

Deepika Joshi, Baidyanath Kumar, Vijay Nath Mishra, Rameshwar Nath Chaurasia, Abhishek Pathak

Abstract :

Background: Chronic meningitis is a clinical syndrome of meningeal inflammation on the basis of clinical features and/or cereospinal fluid finding persisting for 4 weeks or more. Aiims and Objectives: The present study was carried out to evaluate the clinicoradiological profile , of patients with chronic meningitis. Seventy five patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled from April 2011 to September 2012. Material and methods: All patients were subjected to a detailed history followed by a thorough general and neurological evaluation. Neuroimaging CT/MRI and Cereospinal fluid (CSF) examination was carried in all. Cytological and biochemical studies with smear examination and culture were done immediately after sample collection. Results: Age range from 11–70 years and mean age was 32.34+_15.03years . Tubercular meningitis(TBM) was the leading cause chronic meningitis seen 71 (94.7%) patients followed by cryptococcal meningitis 4 (5.3%). Headache , fever and vomiting were the commonest symptoms of which the first two were present in 100% patients in both groups. Papilloedema was present in all patients of cryptococcal and 61 patients of TBM. Sixth cranial nerve was the commonest nerve involved in both groups Vision loss (p=0.028), facial weakness (p=<0.001), motor weakness (p=<0.001) seizures (p=0.002) , a GCS of < 10 (p<0.001) and presence of infarct and grade III meningitis portended a worse prognosis (p–value <0.001) in both groups. Conclusion: Tubercular meningitis is the leading cause of chronic meningitis in our country. Early treatment should be started even in culture negative cases to prevent neurological complications which portend a worst prognosis