[Clinical aspects and management of patients with tuberculous meningitis. Retrospective analysis from 1994 to 2005]

Tuberculous meningitis remains a devastating disease with poor prognosis in terms of mortality or invalidating after-effects. Eighteen cases of tuberculous meningitis, occurred between 1994 and 2005, were re-examined retrospectively. Among the 18 patients, 13 were aged from 14 to 64 years, and 5 were older than 64. There was no gender dominance. Factors of risk were identified in 7 patients. British Medical Research Council staging was III in 9 patients, II in 2 patients and I in 7 patients. Protein and glucose levels in the cerebrospinal fluid sample were very variable ranging from 0.4 to 10.7 g/L and 0.4 to 3.7 mmol/L respectively. The cellular reaction was also very variable ranging from 0 to 250 elements, mostly lymphocytes. Antituberculous treatment was given to 15 patients, associated with corticosteroid therapy for 9 patients. Among the 18 patients, 11 died within 1 year, 4 were treated for a recurrence occurring up to 6 years after the diagnosis, 1 presented important neuropsychic after-effects and 2 patients survived without after-effects with a time ranging between 6 months and 1 year. The deceased patients were significantly older than the others. The risk of mortality was 4.5-fold greater among stage III patients than among stage I and II patients. The use of corticosteroids significantly reduced the risk of death.