Clinical profile and diagnostic challenges of tuberculous meningitis among HIV infected patients - a retrospective study

Excerpt

Tuberculosis is the most common opportunistic infection among people living with HIV in India. Tuberculosis meningitis is the most serious form of TB with high morbidity and mortality, with diagnostic challenges in resource poor settings. TB meningitis (TBM) presents atypically especially when CD4 is low with fewer signs of meningeal irritation and non specific CSF picture. Widespread availability of ART has changed the clinical presentation of TBM with more patients presenting as unmasking TB Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS). In this study we propose to study the clinical profile of HIV infected patients with presumptive diagnosis of TB meningitis and to assess the utility of a diagnostic criteria for diagnosis of TB meningitis validated in South Africa. …