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- Title
COMPLICATIONS AND SQUEAL OF TUBERCULOUS MENINGITIS IN TURKISH SOLDIERS.
- Authors
MERT, Gurkan; TOK, Duran; GUVEN, Emre; AVCI, Ismail Yasar; EYIGUN, Can Polat
- Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging features of 31 young patients with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) developed complications according to “Thwaites' diagnostic index. MATERIAL AND METHOD The subjects of this study are the patients with TBM who were followed up between years 2005 and 2012 in a tertiary military hospital. Diagnosis of TBM was based on clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging signs and Thwaites' diagnostic index. Record of 31 patients were evaluated for clinical features, chest radiograph, microbiological culture, routine investigations, cerebrospinal fl uid studies, computerized tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging of head. The severity of the condition was classifi ed in stages, I, II and III. RESULTS Their ages ranged from 18 to 22 years. All of patients persisted with neurological squeals, including cranial nerve palsies 11(35%), parasia/plegia 14(45%), and hydrocephalus 15 (48%). Also the cranial radiological fi ndings were basal meningitis 3(1%), ischemia/infarct 5(16%), tuberculoma 3(1%) and arachnoidit in two patients. Cranial nerve palsies was seen in 5,7,8,3 and 2.nerves. Only 29% of the cases were stage I, while 71% were stage II and stage III. According to the Thwaites' diagnostic, all cases had a score of ≤4 while only fi ve of them were culture positives. Clinical features, laboratory fi ndings and imaging reports analysis showed that the criteria of morbidity were late advancing stage of disease, and development of hydrocephalus and parasia/plegia. CONCLUSION Late diagnosis, advancing stage of the disease and the development of hydrocephalus and parasia/plegia indicate morbidity in tuberculous meningitis. Early diagnosis by suspecting TBM may prevent therapy delay and may result in decrease in complication and squeal.
- Publication
Balkan Military Medical Review, 2014, Vol 17, p42
- ISSN
1107-6275
- Publication type
Article