Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity in Childhood Tuberculous Meningitis: A New Association

We sought to estimate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) in childhood tuberculous meningitis.

Hospital records of children (6 months to 14 years) with tuberculous meningitis were retrospectively analyzed from September 2019 through January 2022. In September 2019, the first case of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity in tuberculous meningitis was identified in our division. Since then, all admitted children with tuberculous meningitis have been screened for paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity using the Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity Assessment Measure (PSH-AM). Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity is suspected when any of the following are present: recurrence of fever after initial defervescence, episodic posturing, dystonia, or unexplained tachycardia. Outcome at 3 months was prospectively scored according to the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score.

Forty-one hospital records of children with tuberculous meningitis were analyzed, and 6 of them had paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (probable paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity, 5/6; possible paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity, 1/6). Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity appeared after a mean duration of 17 weeks (range: 12-25 weeks) from the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in 4 of 6 children and at 4 weeks in 2 of 6 children. Children with tuberculous meningitis who developed paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity were younger (median age: 5 years) compared with the nonparoxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity tuberculous meningitis cohort (median age: 10 years). A high proportion of children who developed paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity had hydrocephalus at presentation (5 of 6 [83.3%] vs 12 of 35 [34.3%], P = .035). Hospital stay was significantly prolonged in children with probable paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (mean: 71.2 ± 26.8 days) compared with tuberculous meningitis without paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (mean: 20.8 ± 11.6 days; P < .0001).

Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity is a late complication of tuberculous meningitis observed in 14.6% cases and should be anticipated in children with reappearance of fever or neurologic worsening without any apparent cause.