Bacterial meningitis in children whose cerebrospinal fluid contains polymorphonuclear leukocytes without pleocytosis

A retrospective study was performed of 424 children who received diagnostic lumbar puncture for analysis of cerebrospinal fluid during evaluation of an acute illness. In 106 children, the CSF contained polymorphonuclear leukocytes without pleocytosis. Of these 106 patients, 90 percent had a CSF differential cell count with 20 percent or less PMN's and 88 percent had glucose and protein concentrations within the range of normal limits. All patients had a Gram-stained smear of CSF that revealed no organisms. In no instance was a CSF culture positive for a bacterial pathogen. In most instances, cerebrospinal fluid that contains total white cell count and glucose/protein concentrations within limits of normal, Gram-stained smear which reveals no organisms, and a differential cell count with less than 20 percent PMN's is not indicative of risk for bacterial meningitis. If the clinical situation warrants, the majority of children with this profile do not require hospitalization and initiation of empiric antibiotic therapy pending CSF culture results.