All issues > Volume 19(11); 1976

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1976;19(11):843-849. Published online November 30, 1976.

A Clinical Observation on Meningitis in Infancy and Childhood

Myung-Dong Ahn¹, Kyung-Nae Cho¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam University Medical School

Abstract

This article reported a clinical observation and comparison of 200 cases of meningitisy which consisting of 76 cases purulent meningitis, 50 cases aseptic meningitis and 74 cases tuberculous meningitis, in infancy and childhood admitted to the Chonnam University Hospital during about 5 years from Jan. 1970 to Oct. 1974. The diagnosis was made by clinical manifestations and laboratory findings including CSF findings. The following results were obtained. Male to female ratio was 2. 6 : 1 in purulent meningitis, 1. 5 : 1 in aseptic meningitis and 1-.6: 1 in tuberculous meningitis. The seasonal peak incidence were spring and winter in purulent meningitis, summer in aseptic meningitis and spring in tuberculous meningitis. There was a predilection of purulent meningitis in infants under the 1 year of :age and of tuberculous meningitis in 1~3 year of age, but aseptic meningitis occured almost equally in all age group. Fever was most frequentclinical symptom, and vomiting, convulsion, unconsciousness and headache were orderly next common in frequency. The most frequent neurological finding was neck stiffness, and Kernig’s sign, Brudzinski’s sign and Babinski’s sign were orderly next common in frequency. In CSF examination, cell counts were most frequent in 1, 000~5, 000/mm3 in purulent meningitis, under 50/mm3 in aseptic meningitis and 100〜300/mm3 in tuberculous meningitis. Sugar levels showed most frequently in 20~30mg% in purulent meningitis, over 50mg%in aseptic meningitis and 10~30 mg% in tuberculous meningitis. Protein valuerevealed most frequently over 200 mg% in purulent meningitis, in 45~1000 mg% in aseptic meningitis and 100200 mg% in tuberculous meningitis. The mortality rate was 23.7% in purulent meningitis, 0% in aseptic meningitis and 19% in tuberculous meningitis, and the complete recovery and discharge with improvement occured in 66.3% of purulent meningitis, in 82.0% of aseptic meningitis and 10% of tuberculous meningitis. Cases of discharge without improvement was 10.5% in purulent meningitis, 18.0% in aseptic meningitis and 73.0% in tuberculous meningitis.

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