Table 4.
Head Computed Tomography Findings in 549 Patients With Community-Acquired Meningitis
| Results of Head CT | No. (%) of Patients With Indication (n = 193) | No. (%) of Patients Without Indication (n = 356) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 158 (81.4) | 354 (99.4) | <.05 |
| Abnormal | 35 (18.5) | 2 (0.05) | <.05 |
| Major intracranial findingsa | 15 | 0 | |
| Only AMS | 4 | 0 | |
| Minor intracranial findingsb | 20 | 2 | |
| Only AMS | 4 | 1 | |
| Head CT scan findings changed therapy | (n = 8) | (n = 0) | |
| Major | 8/15c | NA | |
| Only AMS | 0 | NA | |
| Minor | 0/20 | 0/2 | |
| Only AMS | 0 | 0 |
Abbreviations: AMS, altered mental status; CT, computed tomography; NA, not applicable.
aMajor: intracranial hemorrhage (n = 6), mass (n = 5), stroke other than lacunar (n = 2), cerebral edema (n = 3).
bMinor: chronic ischemic changes (n = 11), white matter abnormalities (n = 6), lacunar stroke (n = 3).
cVentricular peritoneal shunt placement (n = 3), external ventricular device (n = 1), laryngoscopy of clival lesion (n = 1), resection of pituitary mass (n = 1), treatment for suspected herpes simplex virus encephalitis (n = 1) and for pituitary adenoma (n = 1).