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Cerebrospinal fluid pressure in pyogenic meningitis.
R A Minns1, H M Engleman, H Stirling
1Department of Neurology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|June 1, 1989
Summary
Most children with pyogenic meningitis experience elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure. This high pressure, measured via lumbar puncture, is common and may require specific treatment to improve outcomes in pediatric meningitis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pyogenic meningitis is a serious infection in infants and children.
- Cerebrospinal fluid pressure dynamics in pediatric meningitis are not fully understood.
- Clinical manifestations of meningitis can be influenced by intracranial pressure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure in children with pyogenic meningitis.
- To determine the prevalence and characteristics of elevated CSF pressure in this population.
- To explore the relationship between CSF pressure and clinical presentation.
Main Methods:
- Strain gauge pressure measurement during lumbar puncture.
- Objective recording of CSF pressure in 35 infants and children.
- Analysis of pressure variations throughout the infection course.
Main Results:
- 33 out of 35 children (94%) exhibited raised CSF pressure.
- Median CSF pressure was 15 mm Hg (range 4-70 mm Hg).
- Higher median pressure (19 mm Hg) was observed on admission day.
Conclusions:
- Elevated CSF pressure is a frequent finding in childhood pyogenic meningitis.
- Clinical symptoms may be directly related to high intracranial pressure.
- Raised CSF pressure may necessitate independent treatment and impacts meningitis prognosis.