Tuberculous meningitis

• in tuberculosis central nervous system involvement is most commonly seen as (1) :
  • meningitis
  • tuberculomas
• tuberculous meningitis
  • is caused by blood-borne spread of the M. tuberculosis to the brain.
  • it is usually seen following the primary infection (2)
  • sometimes it is part of widespread milliary tuberulosis (2)
  • around 100 cases of Tuberculous meningitis occur each year in England and Wales.
    • is not often seen in the UK outside of the immigrant population.
  • it is important to think of tuberculous meningitis in immune suppressed patients.

Reference:

• (1) Lynn T. Tanoue and Eugene J. Mark. Case 1-2003 — A 43-Year-Old Man with Fever and Night Sweats. NEJM 2003; 348:151-161
• (2) Tuberculosis: clinical diagnosis and management of tuberculosis, and measures for its prevention and control.The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2006.