Table 3. Baseline clinical characteristics of the study cohort.
| Parameters | Total (n = 186) | TBM with infarction (n = 80) | TBM without infarction (n = 106) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 32.5 (23.75–47.25) | 33 (23.25–54.50) | 32 (23.75–44.25) | 0.406 |
| Older age | 23 (12.4%) | 12 (15.0%) | 11 (10.4%) | 0.343 |
| Adolescent age | 25 (13.4%) | 9 (11.3%) | 16 (15.1%) | 0.447 |
| Male gender | 96 (51.6%) | 45 (56.3%) | 51 (48.1%) | 0.272 |
| Pre-existing comorbidities | ||||
| Diabetes mellitus | 4 (2.2%) | 3 (3.8%) | 1 (0.9%) | 0.316 |
| Hypertension | 3 (1.6%)† | 1 (1.2%) | 2 (1.9%)† | 1.000 |
| Persons living with HIV | 12 (6.5%) | 4 (5.0%) | 8 (7.5%) | 0.484 |
| History of household contact with active TB case | 39 (21.0%) | 19 (23.8%) | 20 (18.9%) | 0.418 |
| Past history of TB | 7 (3.8%) | 3 (3.8%) | 4 (3.8%) | 1.000 |
| Tobacco smoking | 45 (24.2%) | 19 (23.8%) | 26 (24.5%) | 0.902 |
| Duration of smoking (years) | 10 (5–11.5) | 10 (5–13) | 10 (5–11.25) | 0.981 |
| Chronic alcohol consumption | 46 (24.7%) | 21 (26.3%) | 25 (23.6%) | 0.677 |
| Duration of alcohol consumption (years) | 10 (7.75–20) | 10 (7.5–20) | 10 (7.5–15) | 0.710 |
| Duration of illness before presentation (days) | 25 (12–30) | 20 (10–30) | 30 (15–30) | 0.029 |
| Acute TBM | 48 (25.8%) | 25 (31.3%) | 23 (21.7%) | 0.140 |
| Subacute TBM | 47 (25.3%) | 21 (26.3%) | 26 (24.5%) | 0.789 |
| Chronic TBM | 91 (48.9%) | 34 (42.5%) | 57 (53.8%) | 0.128 |
| Fever | 168 (90.3%) | 69 (86.3%) | 99 (93.4%) | 0.103 |
| Altered mental status | 137 (73.7%) | 66 (82.5%) | 71 (67.0) | 0.017 |
| Headache | 91 (48.9%) | 36 (45.0%) | 55 (51.9%) | 0.352 |
| Vomiting | 30 (16.1%) | 8 (10.0%) | 22 (20.8%) | 0.048 |
| Limb weakness or aphasia | 11 (5.9%) | 6 (7.5%) | 5 (4.7%) | 0.534 |
| Seizure | 10 (5.4%) | 3 (3.8%) | 7 (6.6%) | 0.519 |
| Cranial nerve abnormalities‡ | 7 (3.8%) | 2 (2.5%) | 5 (4.7%) | 0.701 |
| Neck rigidity | 160 (86.0%) | 69 (86.3%) | 91 (85.8%) | 0.938 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 115.4 ± 10.0 | 116.9 ± 12.2 | 114.2 ± 7.9 | 0.070 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 73.2 ± 7.2 | 75.0 ± 8.0 | 71.9 ± 6.4 | 0.003 |
| Elevated blood pressure | 59 (31.7%) | 34 (42.5%) | 25 (23.6%) | 0.006 |
| Pulse rate (per min) | 94.3 ± 10.8 | 93.8 ± 10.5 | 94.6 ± 11.1 | 0.636 |
| Respiratory rate (per min) | 19.5 ± 1.4 | 19.5 ± 1.7 | 19.5 ± 1.2 | 0.941 |
| Glasgow coma scale | 11 (10–15) | 11 (9.25–13) | 12 (10–15) | 0.001 |
| Coma | 21 (11.3%) | 12 (15.0%) | 9 (8.5%) | 0.165 |
| BMRC stage 1 | 17 (9.1%) | 2 (2.5%) | 15 (14.2%) | 0.019 |
| BMRC stage 2 | 134 (72.0%) | 60 (75.0%) | 74 (69.8%) | |
| BMRC stage 3 | 35 (18.8%) | 18 (22.5%) | 17 (16.0%) |
Values are given as n (%), mean ± SD, or median (IQR).
†
One patient had chronic kidney disease.
‡
Cranial nerve abnormalities included involvement of 3rd (n = 3), 6th (n = 2) and 7th (n = 1) cranial nerves.
BMRC: British Medical Research Council; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; TB: Tuberculosis; TBM: Tuberculous meningitis.