Table 2.
Characteristics of the eight patients with eosinophilic meningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis.
| Characteristic | Result |
|---|---|
| Demographic characteristics | |
| Age (years) | 24.3 [0.87–63.6] |
| Sex (male) | 6 (75%) |
| Rainy season | 6 (75%) |
| Exposure risk | |
| Reported contact with snails | 2 (25%) |
| Previous mental disorders | 5 (63%) |
| Clinical picture | |
| Fever (>38 °C) | 5 (63%) |
| Digestive signs and symptoms | 3 (38%) |
| Neurological signs and symptoms | 8 (100%) |
| Headaches | 2 (25%) |
| Neck stiffness | 1 (13%) |
| Dysfunction of cranial nerves | 3 (38%) |
| Seizure | 2 (25%) |
| Axial hypotonia, hemiparesia | 2 (25%) |
| Radiculalgia | 1 (13%) |
| Coma | 2 (25%) |
| Brain imaging | |
| Normal | 3 (38%) |
| Enlargement of cerebral ventricles | 3 (38%) |
| Cortical atrophy | 1 (13%) |
| Laboratory results | |
| In blood | |
| C-reactive protein > 5 mg/L | 2 (25%) |
| Total WBC count (G/L) | 10.0 [6.61–20.75] |
| Blood eosinophilia at admission (G/L) | 1.72 [0.49–6.43] |
| Blood eosinophilia at admission (% of WBC) | 12.5 [5–31] |
| Max blood eosinophilia during hospitalisation (G/L) | 2.99 [0.89–6.43] |
| Max blood eosinophilia during hospitalisation (% of WBC) | 23.5 [10–36] |
| A. cantonensis positive serodiagnosis | 7 (88%) |
| In CSF | |
| Eosinophilia in CSF at first LP (/mm3) | 74.5 [0–1550] |
| Eosinophilia in CSF at first LP (% of WBC) | 25.0 [0–68] |
| CSF glucose at first LP (mmol/L) | 2.81 [0.1–4.3] |
| Protein level in CSF at first LP (g/L) | 1.14 [0.33–1.71] |
| Protein level > 0.45 g/L at first LP | 7 (88%) |
| Presence of antibodies in CSF (among those tested) | 6 (100%) |
| Management | |
| Length of hospital stay (days) | 27 [15–66] |
| Subtractive LP | 5 (63%) |
| Corticosteroids | 5 (63%) |
| Anthelmintic therapy | 7 (88%) |
| Outcome | |
| One year recovery | 2 (25%) |
| One year neurological sequelae | 5 (63%) |
| One year mortality | 1 (13%) |
Abbreviations: CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; LP, lumbar puncture; WBC, white blood cell.
Descriptive results are presented as n (%) and as median (min–max).