is
Inflammation of the membranes (
Meninges ) covering the
Brain and the
Spinal Cord . Although the most common causes are infection (
Bacterial ,
Viral ,
Fungal or
Parasitic ), chemical agents and even tumor cells may cause meningitis. Meningitis can produce a wide range of symptoms including
Fever ,
Headache or confusion and in extreme cases, deafness, brain damage,
Stroke , seizures or even death.
Encephalitis and
Brain Abscess can complicate infective meningitis.
The classical symptoms of meningitis are
Headache ,
Neck Stiffness and
Photophobia (intolerance of bright light); the trio is called
Meningism . Fever and chills are often present, along with
Myalgia . An
Altered State Of Consciousness or other neurological deficits may be present depending on the severity of the disease. In ''meningococcal meningitis'' or ''septicaemia'', a
Petechial Rash may appear. A
Lumbar Puncture to obtain
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) is usually indicated to determine the cause and direct appropriate treatment.
Convulsion s and
Hydrocephalus are known complications of meningitis.
Most important in the diagnosis of meningitis is examination of the
Cerebrospinal Fluid . A
Lumbar Puncture should be performed promptly whenever the diagnosis of meningitis is suspected. The opening pressure is recorded and the cerebrospinal fluid sample is taken for microscopic examination (
Complete Blood Count with differential), chemical analysis (
Glucose and
Protein ) and microbiology (
Gram Staining and
Bacterial Cultures ).
In patients with focal neurological deficits or signs of increased
Intracranial Pressure , a
CT Scan of the
Head should be obtained to help determine if there is a raised intracranial pressure that might cause a serious or fatal
Brain Herniation during lumbar puncture. In the absence of these signs, a CT scan is unnecessary and should not delay lumbar puncture and initiation of
Antibiotic therapy.
Meningitis and encephalitis are usually caused by viruses or bacteria. Most often, the body’s immune system is able to contain and defeat an infection. But if the infection passes into the blood stream and then into the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, it can affect the nerves and travel to the brain and/or surrounding membranes, causing inflammation. This swelling can harm or destroy nerve cells and cause bleeding in the brain.
''Purulent (suppurative) leptomeningitis'' is a diffuse ''purulent inflammation''. The leptomeninges (arachnoid and pia matter) contain purulent exudate (pus): leukocytes (neutrophils), fibrin, germs, proteins, necrotic debris. Blood vessels in the subarachnoidian space and those intracerebral are congested and neutrophil margination is present
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There is a geographic variation in the incidence of the bacteria, e.g. in rural
Thailand the most common cause is ''
S. Suis ''.
Non-infectious causes include:
Meningitis has a high mortality rate if it goes untreated and is thus a severe
Medical Emergency . All suspected cases, however mild, need emergency medical attention. Early treatment of bacterial meningitis is important to its outcome. Strong doses of general antibiotics may be prescribed first, followed by intravenous antibiotics in more severe cases. Broad spectrum antibiotics should be started even before the culture results are available, on the presumption that all cases are bacterial in nature, until otherwise proven. If lumbar puncture can not be performed because of raised
Intracranial Pressure (likely due to edema or concomitant brain abscess), a broad spectrum intravenous antibiotic should be started immediately (this is often a third generation
Cephalosporin or, in less affluent countries,
Chloramphenicol ). When cerebrospinal fluid
Gram Stain , or blood or CSF culture and sensitivity results, are available and confirm the bacterial nature of the infection, then the empiric treatment can be refined by switching to more specific antibiotics. Appropriate antibiotic treatment for most types of meningitis can reduce the risk of dying from the disease to below 15 percent.
Corticosteroid s such as
Prednisone may be ordered to relieve brain pressure and swelling and to prevent hearing loss that is common in patients with Haemophilus influenza meningitis.
Pain Medicine and
Sedative s may be given to make patients more comfortable.
Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot be killed by
Antibiotics . Patients with mild viral meningitis may be allowed to stay at home, while those who have a more serious infection may be hospitalized for supportive care. Patients with mild cases, which often cause only flu-like symptoms, may be treated with fluids, bed rest (preferably in a quiet, dark room), and analgesics for pain and fever. The physician may prescribe
Anticonvulsant s such as
Dilantin or
Phenytoin to prevent
Seizure s and corticosteroids to reduce brain inflammation. If inflammation is severe, pain medicine and sedatives may be prescribed to make the patient more comfortable.
Infection of the meninges usually originates through spread from infection of the neighbouring structures (which include the
Sinus es and
Mastoid Cell s of the ear). These should be investigated when diagnosis of meningitis is confirmed or suspected. Infected sinuses may need to be drained.
If the patient is commonly in contact with many others (for example at school or in army barracks), people in the surroundings (and usually family members) may be started on
Prophylactic treatment; this is generally done with the antibiotic
Rifampicin , which is otherwise mainly used in
Tuberculosis . Alternative drugs used for prophylaxis include
Ciprofloxacin and
Ceftriaxone . Ceftriaxone is the preferred agent for prophylaxis in pregnant women. If there is a risk of neonatal meningitis caused by
Streptococcus Agalactiae (
Group B Streptococcus ), then
Ampicillin ,
Penicillin G , or
Clindamycin may be used during
Childbirth .
Vaccinations against ''
Haemophilus Influenzae '' (Hib) have decreased early childhood meningitis significantly.
Vaccines against type A and C ''
Neisseria Meningitidis '', the kind that causes most disease in preschool children and teenagers in the
United States , have also been around for a while. Type A is also prevalent in sub-
Sahara Africa and W135 outbreaks have affected those on the
Hajj pilgrimage to
Mecca .
A vaccine called ''
MeNZB '' for a specific strain of type B Neisseria meningitidis prevalent in
New Zealand has completed trials and is being given to everyone in the country under the age of 20. There is also a vaccine, MenBVac, for the specific strain of type B meningoccocal disease prevalent in
Norway , and another specific vaccine for the strain prevalent in
Cuba .
20,000 to 25,000 cases of bacterial meningitis are seen in the
United States every year. In developing countries, the incidence is probably higher. Mostly adults are infected, where it can be community acquired or
Nosocomial . Vaccination against ''
Haemophilus Influenzae '' has reduced the incidence in children.
Meningitis may occur in outbreaks in communities who have close contact with each other, such as in dorms or military establishments. In the large majority of such outbreaks, ''
Neisseria Meningitidis '' is the
Etiologic agent.
The "Meningitis Belt" is an area in sub-Saharan Africa which stretches from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east in which large epidemics of meningococcal meningitis occur. It contains an estimated total population of 300 million people. The largest epidemic outbreak was in 1996, when over 250,000 cases occurred and 25,000 people died as a consequence of the disease.
In the
19th Century meningitis was a scourge of the
Japanese Imperial Family , playing the largest role in the horrendous pre-maturity death rate the family endured. In the mid-1800s, only the
Emperor Komei and two of his siblings reached maturity out of fifteen total children surviving birth. Komei's son, the
Emperor Meiji , was one of two survivors out of Komei's six children, including an elder brother of Meiji who would have taken the throne had he lived to maturity. Five of Meiji's fifteen children survived, including only his third son, the
Taisho Emperor , who was
Feeble-minded , perhaps as a result of having contracted meningitis himself. By Emperor
Hirohito 's generation the family was receiving modern medical attention. As the focal point of tradition in Japan, during the
Tokugawa Shogunate the family was denied modern "Dutch" medical treatment then in use among the upper caste; despite extensive modernization during the
Meiji Restoration the Emperor insisted on traditional medical care for his children. The inbreeding produced among the very few families considered worthy of marriage into the imperial line, most of whom were descendents from that same line and therefore none too distant cousins of one another, also played an important role.
