Clinical, radiological and laboratory findings in 185 children with tuberculous meningitis at a single centre and relationship with the stage of the disease

A delay in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) may lead to increased mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, radiological and laboratory findings of TBM on a cohort of 185 pediatric patients at a single centre over a 10 year period and to investigate relationship between the stage of the disease.

The hospital records of 185 TBM children that presented to the Pediatric Clinics of Dicle University Hospital were retrospectively evaluated. The age, gender, family history of tuberculosis, result of Mantoux skin test, status of BCG vaccination, stage of TBM at hospitalization, and clinical, laboratory and radiological features were recorded. Clinical staging of TBM was defined as follows: Stage I, no focal neurological findings and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 15; Stage II, GCS 15 presenting with focal neurological deficit or all the patients with GCS 10–14; Stage III, all the patients with GCS < 10. Relationships between results and stages of TBM were investigated.

The mean age of the patients was 53.5 ± 44.9 months (4 months–18 years). 121 (65.4 %) of the patients were male and 64 (34.6 %) female. Family history of tuberculosis was defined in 62 (33.5 %) patients. Forty five (24.3 %) children had BCG vaccination scar. Mantoux skin test was interpreted as positive in 35 (18.9 %) patients. Sixty-eight (36.8 %) children were at stage I TBM, 57 (30.8 %) at stage II and 60 (32.4 %) were at stage III on admission. Mean duration of hospitalization was 23.9 ± 14.1 days. Totally, 90 patients (48.6 %) had abnormal chest X-ray findings (parenchymal infiltration in 46 (24.9 %), mediastinal lymphadenopathy in 36 (19.5 %), miliary opacities in 25 (13.5 %), pleural effusion in 2 (1.1 %), and atelectasis in 2 (1.1 %) patients). One hundred sixty seven (90.3 %) patients had hydrocephalus in cranial computerized tomography. There were 24 (13.0 %) patients with positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 3 (1.6 %) patients with positive acid-fast bacilli in cerebrospinal fluid. Overall mortality rate was 24 (13.0 %). Among the findings; patients at Stage III had less frequent positive chest X-ray abnormality, miliary opacities and BCG vaccination scar when compared with patients at Stage I and II (p = 0,005; p = 0,007, p = 0.020, respectively).

Children with TBM and positive chest X-ray findings at hospital admission were more frequently diagnosed at Stage I, and BCG vaccination might be protective from the Stage III of the disease.