Chronic meningitis- tubercular maningitis definition, diagnosis and management

What is chronic meningitis? What is treatment of tubercular meningitis?

(toc)Table of Contents

Introduction

Chronic meningitis is the meningitis that lasts at least four weeks and is usually caused by mixed type of infection and noninfectious inflammations. 

Tuberculous Meningitis signs and symptoms:

1. Headache, malaise, mental confusion, and vomiting. 
2. Moderate increase in CSF cellularity, with mononuclear cells
3. Protein level is elevated, 
4. Glucose content reduced or normal. 
5. Well circumscribed intraparenchymal mass - tuberculoma.
6. Chronic tuberculous meningitis is a cause of arachnoid fibrosis, which may produce hydrocephalus.

Spirochetal infection of meninges:

Meningitis can Also be caused by different type of spirochetes Through the brain and the meninges.

Spirochetal Infections:

Neurosyphilis:

It can produce chronic meningitis (meningovascular neurosyphilis), usually involving the base of the brain, often with an obliterative endarteritis rich in plasma cells and lymphocytes.

Insidious progressive loss of mental and physical functions, mood alterations (including delusions of grandeur), severe dementia.  

Types of meningitis and their fingdings

Viral encephalitis causes, symptoms and management

Viral encephalitis is a parenchymal infection of the brain that is almost invariably associated with meningeal inflammation (better termed meningoencephalitis).

Causes of viral encephalitis:

1. Arbo virus
2. Herpes virus 
3. Rabies virus
4. Poliovirus
5. Cytomegalo virus
6. HIV virus