PRESENT-DAY COURSE OF TUBERCULOUS MENINGI TIS

Clinical patterns of tuberculous meningitis have been analyzed for 32 admissions to the bacterial meningitis department of the 2nd Moscow In fection Hospital in 1983-1991. Early diagnosis of tuberculous meningit is caused great difficulties because of rare cases of turberculous his tory, atypical symptoms (an acute onset, in particular), an obscure me ningeal syndrome, rare neurological symptoms, atypical liquor characte ristics (frequent neutrophil pleocytosis, a small protein rise, normal glucose). Secondary bacterial meningitides presented most serious dif ficulties for differential diagnosis. So did cerebral abscesses and vi ral meningitis. Antituberculous therapy should be started at first sin gs of tuberculous nature of meningitis as the disease outcomes are det ermined to a large extent by early administration of proper treatment.