Author reviewed clinical and laboratory findings in seventy-five adult patients of tuberculous meningitis aged from 15 to 73 years with special reference to abnormal neurologic signs and prognostic factors of their outcome.
Majority of their diagnosis were made by presumptive basis except six cases of AFB positive in CSF. They were classified into 3 stages by clinical criterions at admission.
Five (6.7%) of them died, and seven patients (9.3%) discharged with aggravated results; twelve (16%) of them improved with some sequelae at discharge, and fifty-one (68%) improved without sequelae. These outcomes correlated well with their clinical stages at admission.
Observed abnormal neurologic findings and their percentages were as followings; meningeal irritation sign (69%), SIADH (16%), ocular paresis (25%), papilledema (12%), visual loss (5%), hemiparesis (13%), radiculomyelopathy(9%), seizure (9%), cerebellar dysfunction (7%), and peripheral type of facial palsy (3%).
CSF findings at admission and during illness were examined also, but they had a little correlation with the clinical course.
Accompanied tuberculous infections of other organs were discovered in forty cases (53%) of the patients.
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