All issues > Volume 11(5); 1968

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1968;11(5):247-254. Published online May 31, 1968.

Tuberculous Meningitis in Children

Myung Rae Cho¹, Jae Bum Lee¹, Jin Moo Kang¹, Jip Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Presbyterian Hospital, Taegu, Korea

Abstract

A study was carried out on 75 patients with tuberculous meningitis who had spinal fluid culture among the tuberculous meningitis patients under treatment at the pediatric department of Taegu Presbyterian Hospital during the 4 year period from April 1, 1962 to March 31, 1966. The following results were obtained. 1.Seasonal incidence; No significant seasonal relationship was found. 2.Age and sex incidence; 75% were under the age of 6, the greatest number of these being between the age of 1 and 2. Male and female ratio was 2 : 1. 3.In 64% (48 patients) of the 75 cases, we found the source of infection among family members while a similiar source was found in 86% of those cases under 3 years of age. 4.We found 29 cases (38%) in which the spinal fluid culture was positive for tuberculous bacilli. 5.In studing the relationship between the prognosis and other factors, the following was noted: The sooner the treatment started from the onset of disease, the better the results; the prognosis was poorer in the younger age groups; the chest X-ray finding did not relate closely to the prognosis; the sugar level of the spinal fluid seemed to reflect the severity and prognosis of the disease, but the protein, chloride, and cell count results showed little correlation 6.The prognosis of the group treated with I.N.H., P.A.S., streptomycin and corticosteroid proved to be better than the group in which the corticosteroid was omitted 7.No BCG inoculation was done on any of the above mentioned cases.

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