All issues > Volume 46(9); 2003

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2003;46(9):858-864. Published online September 15, 2003.

A Clinical Study of Aseptic Meningitis in the Busan Area in 2002

Ji Hyun JH Park¹, Na Young NY Lee¹, Gil Hyun GH Kim¹, Jin Hwa JH Jung¹, Kyung Soon KS Cho², Sung Mi SM Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Maryknoll Hospital, Busan, Korea
²Institute of Health & Environment, Busan, Korea

Correspondence Sung Mi SM Kim ,Email: ksm7090@hanmail.net

Abstract

Purpose
: There was a outbreak of aseptic meningitis in Busan, 2002. We report the clinical features and causative viruses.
Methods
: Two hundred seventy six children with aseptic meningitis who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Maryknoll Hospital between January and December, 2002 were included. CSF, stool and throat swab viral cultures were done in 244 of these children.
Results
: The male to female ratio was 1.4 : 1. Age of patients varied from five months to fourteen years old. Average age was 5.7?.2 years old and mostly between one and four years.(41.3%) Monthly distribution revealed that the number of patients increased from May to July. The main symptoms were fever, headache and vomiting in this order. Respiratory tract infection symptom was associated from June to July and headache and nausea without fever were characteristically observed in children more than 10 years old from November to December. In peripheral blood examination, leukocytosis(WBC>10,000/mm3) showed in 34.8%, ESR was increased in 56.1%, and CRP was positive value in 61%. Therefore differential diagnosis was difficult through peripheral blood examination. CSF findings revealed mean leukocyte count 86.5?80.2/mm3, protein 41.7?2.9 mg/dL, glucose 56.4?.9 mg/dL. Median hospitalized period was 4.7?.2 days and compared with non-tapping group, hospitalized period was shorter and subsidance of symptoms was faster, therefore antibiotics injection period was shorter in the spinal tapping group. Virus was isolated in 31 cases of 244. The causative agents were echovirus 6, echovirus 9, echovirus 25, coxsakie virus B3, B4.
Conclusion
: There was an epidemics of aseptic meningitis in Busan, 2002; the causative agent was echovirus 6, 9, 25, coxsakie virus B3, B4.

Keywords :Aseptic meningitis, Echovirus, Coxsakie virus