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

Park, Ji Hyun; Lee, Na Young; Kim, Gil Hyun; Jung, Jin Hwa; Cho, Kyung Soon

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+/-6.2 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+/-180.2/mm3, protein 41.7+/-32.9 mg/dL, glucose 56.4+/-9.9 mg/dL. Median hospitalized period was 4.7+/-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.