Meningitis - tuberculous
Alternate Names : Tubercular meningitis, TB meningitis
Symptoms & Signs
The symptoms usually begin gradually, and may include:
Diagnosis & Tests
For any patient with meningitis, it is important to perform a lumbar puncture ("spinal tap"), in which doctors take a sample of spinal fluid (known as cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF) and send it for lab tests.
When the health care provider suspects tuberculosis, there may be a need to get many CSF samples over time to increase the chance of a diagnosis. This may require many lumbar punctures. The following tests help diagnose tuberculous meningitis: - Biopsy of the brain or meninges
- CSF culture
- CSF stain
- CSF test of protein, glucose (sugar) level, and lymphocytes
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- Skin test for tuberculosis (PPD)
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