Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of patients evaluated for tuberculous meningitis.
| Baseline characteristics | TBM | Not TBM | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite N = 38 (%) | Probable N = 66 (%) | Possible N = 163 (%) | IND N = 38 (%) | NIND N = 11 (%) | |
| Age (years)* | 25 (7–72) | 35 (2–64) | 29 (1–80) | 34.5 (7–77) | 39 (5–57) |
| Female sex | 18 (47) | 32 (49) | 53 (33) | 12 (32) | 4 (36) |
| HISTORY | |||||
| Fever | 24 (63) | 54 (82) | 113 (69) | 26 (68) | 3 (27) |
| Headache | 28 (74) | 56 (85) | 109 (67) | 25 (66) | 4 (36) |
| Vomiting | 20 (53) | 39 (59) | 85 (52) | 19 (50) | 4 (36) |
| Seizures | 2 (5) | 10 (15) | 27 (17) | 4 (11) | 1 (9) |
| Previous TB | 2 (5) | 3 (5) | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 |
| BMRC GRADINGa | |||||
| I | 15 (40) | 27 (41) | 85 (52) | ||
| II | 5 (13) | 7 (11) | 36 (22) | ||
| III | 18 (47) | 32 (49) | 42 (26) | ||
| Diagnostic score* | 14 (10–18) | 12 (10–16)b | 8 (6–11)c | 8 (3–15) | 4 (3–9) |
| IMAGING | |||||
| Chest X-ray suggestive of TB | 14 (37) | 23 (35) | 19 (12) | 6 (16) | 1 (9) |
| Hydrocephalus | 9 (24) | 13 (20) | 15 (9) | 2(5) | 1 (9) |
| Basal meningeal enhancement | 9 (24) | 8 (12) | 16 (10) | 5 (13) | 0 |
| Infarcts | 9 (24) | 17 (26) | 17 (10) | 7 (18) | 0 |
| CSF FINDINGS | |||||
| Total leukocyte count* cells/μl | 124 (0–6100) | 94 (0–1355) | 96 (0–5450) | 45 (1–3470) | 5 (0–1240) |
| Neutrophils (%)* | 23 (0–95) | 7 (0–95) | 2 (0–94) | 2 (0–88) | 20 (3–63) |
| Lymphocytes >50% | 24 (63) | 52 (79) | 114 (70) | 30 (79) | 8 (73) |
| Monocytes (%)* | 10(3–27) | 8(0–47) | 11 (0–85) | 12 (3–51) | 21 (8–83) |
| Glucose < 2.2 mmol/l | 15 (40) | 38 (58) | 36 (22) | 13 (34) | 1 (9) |
| Protein >1.0 mg/dl | 20 (53) | 43 (65) | 47 (29) | 17 (45) | 1 (9) |
TBM, tuberculous meningitis; TB, tuberculosis; IND, infectious neurological disorders; NIND, non-infectious neurological disorders; CSF, Cerebral Spinal Fluid.
*
Median (range);
a
BMRC grading—British Medical Research council disease severity grade (British Medical Research Council 1948): stages 1, 2, and 3 were characterized by signs of meningitis with no neurological deficits, focal neurological deficits, and stupor or coma, respectively;
b
Scores of 10 and 11 when brain imaging was not available;
c
Scores of 10 and 11 when brain imaging was available.