Clinical spectrum and outcome of patients with tuberculous meningitis

ABSTRACT

The study was basically conducted to analyze the various clinical presentation in patients with tuberculous meningitis and to access their outcome. Descriptive study. Medical Unit II, Civil Hospital Karachi from October 2005 to September 2006. Forty patients of either sex admitted in Medical ward showing signs and symptoms suggestive of TBM were selected in this study. All patients were analyzed by using SPSS version 10.0. The age of patients range between 14-75 years. Mostly they were young and the mean age was 29.65 years. Mean duration of illness was 45 days. Majority of the patients were presented with fever, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness and altered consciousness. 12 [30%] were having fits. Hemiparesis/hemiplegia was seen in 5 [12.5%] cases. Cranial nerve palsies in 9 [22.5%]. Hydrocephalus was observed in 10 [25%] patients. Mostly patients showed lymphocytic pleocytosis with high protein and low sugar in their CSF except in two cases where it was neutrophilic predominance. X-ray chest was suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis in 14 [25%] cases. Among 40 cases 16 [40%] patients fully recovered without complications, 14 [35%] had partial recovery with complications and 10 [25%] were expired. TBM is a chronic serious illness with varied presentation and relatively high mortality and morbidity. Early treatment has considerable impact to decrease both