Summary
CT changes in 64 Chinese patients with proven tuberculous meningitis were compared with the clinical features at diagnosis. In patients presenting with advanced disease, hydrocephalus and cerebral infarction were common, and the hydrocephalus in these patients was more likely to require surgery at a later date for control of raised intracranial pressure. New infarctions were only seen in follow-up scans of patients who had presented with disturbed consciousness. Meningeal enhancement, the commonest finding, and intracranial tuberculomata were not related to the severity of disease at presentation. A normal scan in a drowsy patient virtually excludes the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bhargava S, Gupta AK, Tandon PN (1982) Tuberculous meningitis — a CT study. Br J Radiol 55:189–196
Bullock MRR, Welchman JM (1982) Diagnostic and prognostic features of tuberculous meningitis on CT scanning. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 45:1098–1101
Casselman ES, Hasso AN, Ashwal S, Schneider S (1980) Computed tomography of tuberculous meningitis in infants and children. J Comput Assist Tomogr 4:211–216
Enzmann DR, Norman D, Mani J, Newton TH (1976) Computed tomography of granulomatous basal arachnoiditis. Radiology 120:341–344
Kingsley DP, Hendrickse WA, Kendall BE, Swash M, Singh V (1987) Tuberculous meningitis: role of CT in management and prognosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 50:30–36
Medical Research Council (1948) Streptomycin treatment of tuberculous meningitis; report of the Committee on Streptomycin in Tuberculosis Trials. Lancet I:582–585
Price HI, Danziger A (1978) Computed tomography in cranial tuberculosis. Am J Roentgenol 130:769–771
Rich AR (1951) The pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Blackwell, Oxford
Smith HV, Daniel P (1947) Some clinical and pathological aspects of tuberculosis of CNS. Tubercle 28:64–80
Tandon PN (1978) Tuberculous meningitis (cranial and spinal). In: Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW (eds) Handbook of clinical neurology, vol 33, North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 195–262
Witham RR, Johnson RH, Roberts DL (1979) Diagnosis of military tuberculosis by cerebral computerized tomography. Arch Intern Med 139:479–480
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Present address: MRI Centre. Churchill Clinic, London SE1 7PW. UK
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Teoh, R., Humphries, M.J., Hoare, R.D. et al. Clinical correlation of CT changes in 64 Chinese patients with tuberculous meningitis. J Neurol 236, 48–51 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314218
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314218