We analyzed the clinical and laboratory findings of 474 patients with tuberculous meningitis(including pediatric subjects) to evaluate the usefulness of tryptophan test and identify important factors influencing the outcome of tuberculous meningitis seen between January 1974 and August 1983 at the Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym college.
1) The highest incidence by age was noted as 48.3% under the age of 5 years, but highest incidence of adult were noted among second decade(16.7%). Male to female ratio was 1.16：1.
2) The annual and seasonal incidences were not statistically significant, but showed a trend of decrement after 1981.
3) The tryptophan test wary done on 28 cases of tuberculous meningitis on admission. Of these 28 cases, 23 cases(82.1%) gave positive results.
4) The chief complaints on admission were in the order of headache, fever, vomiting, neck stiffness and mental disturbance. On neurological examination, Kernig’s sign were positive in 24.9%, Brudzinski’s sign in 17.1%, Babinski’s sign in 13.5% and knee jerk abnormality in 27.9%.
5) The duration from onset to admission was within 2 weeks in 77.1% of the cases. Stages were classified by clinical criterions at admission to 1,2, and 3. And these stages occupied by 60.1%, 27% and 10.9% respectively.
6) The concomittent extrameningeal tuberculosis was found in 42% of all cases and pulmonary tuberculosis was the commonest lesion(24.9%).
7) The CSF analysis on admission revealed increased CSF pressure(75.1%), leukocytosis (100%), increased protein(89.6%), decreased sugar(4l.4%) and only 2% of positive AFB smear of CSF.
8) The overall mortality was l9.7% and stage 1,2, and 3 showed each mortality rate of 7.8%, 23.2% and 76.2% respectively.
9) The late sequelae was found by 32 patients among the 155 survivors, including blurred vision, hemiparesis, dysarthria and mental disturbance.
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