Table 1. Clinical and demographic characteristics of the study participants.
| All | TBM (n = 23) | Not-TBMa | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroke | No stroke | |||
| Number of participants | 47 | 14 | 9 | 24 |
| Definite TBM, n (%) | 3 (6.4) | 2/14 (14.3) | 1/9 (11.1) | - |
| Median age, months (IQR) | 22.0 (10.5–57.0) | 23.5 (11.0–40.0) | 15.0 (5.0–27.0) | 30.0 (9.0–96.0) |
| Males, n (%) | 30 (63.8) | 8 (57.1) | 5 (55.6) | 17 (70.8) |
| HIV infection, n/no. tested | 6/37 | 0/14 | 0/8 | 6/15 |
| TB contact in history, n (%) | 14 (29.8) | 7/14 (50.0) | 3/9 (33.3) | 4 (16.7) |
| Admission Characteristics | ||||
| Symptoms duration, days (median, IQR) | 7.0 (2.0–14.0) | 7.0 (2.0–28.0) | 7.0 (2.0–7.0) | 3.0 (1.0–14.0) |
| Advanced stage TBM (IIb and III) | 12 (52.2) | 9 (64.3) | 3 (33.3) | - |
| Fever, n (%) | 17 (36.2) | 6 (42.9) | 2 (22.2) | 9 (37.5) |
| Vomiting, n (%) | 12 (25.5) | 4 (28.6) | 4 (44.4) | 4 (16.7) |
| Weight loss, n (%) | 11 (23.4) | 6 (42.9) | 3 (33.3) | 2 (8.3) |
| Seizures, n (%) | 19 (40.4) | 5 (35.7) | 4 (44.4) | 10 (41.7) |
| Cough, n (%) | 16 (34.0) | 5 (35.7) | 1 (11.1) | 10 (41.7) |
| Altered consciousness, n (%) | 19 (40.4) | 9 (64.3) | 6 (66.7) | 4 (16.7) |
| Raised intracranial pressure | 10 (21.3) | 9 (64.3) | 1 (11.1) | 0 |
| Hemiplegia | 13 (27.7) | 9 (64.3) | 0 | 4 (16.7) |
| Other radiological features | ||||
| Hydrocephalus | 20 (42.6) | 13 (92.9) | 6 (66.7) | 1 (4.2) |
| Tuberculoma | 4 (8.5) | 4 (28.6) | 0 | 0 |
aThe ‘not-TBM’ group were children with alternative diagnosis including other meningitis: bacterial meningitis (n = 2) and viral meningitis (n = 2), and no-meningitis: asphyxia (n = 1), autoimmune encephalitis (n = 1), febrile seizure (n = 3), Guillain Barre (n = 1), HIV encephalopathy (n = 1), focal seizures (n = 1), leukemia (n = 1), miliary TB (with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis) (n = 1), developmental delay (n = 1), breakthrough seizure (n = 1), gastroenteritis (caused by shock) (n = 1), idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) (n = 1), viral gastroenteritis (adenovirus and rotavirus) and encephalopathy (n = 1), stroke (n = 1), mitochondrial diagnosis (n = 1), viral pneumonia (this included also severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and nosocomial sepsis) (n = 1), febrile seizure and acute gastroenteritis (n = 1), and others (n = 1). The table was adapted and modified from Manyelo et al [16, 17]. IQR: interquartile range.