J Korean Child Neurol Soc.  2014 Jun;22(2):58-62.

Clinical Comparison among Patients with Enteroviral Meningitis According to the Presence of CSF Pleocytosis

• Heo TH
• Kim GH
• Byeon JH
• Eun BL

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference of clinical features among patients with enteroviral mengitis according to the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis.
METHODS
This was a retrospective analysis of the patients' data diagnosed with enteroviral meningitis by CSF reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We reviewed the medical records of children younger than 16 years who visited Korea University Ansan Hospital and Guro Hospital for meningitis or encephalitis between March 2013 and August 2013. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared with regard to the presence of CSF pleocytosis.
RESULTS
Among 49 patients with enteroviral meningitis, eight of 49 (16.3%) did not have pleocytosis. The enteroviral meningitis patients without pleocytosis had lower CSF protein level than patients with pleocytosis (18.9+/-4.3 vs 34.9+/-18.3 mg/dL; P=0.002). Age, duration of hospital stay, severity of clinical symptom, peripheral white cell blood counts, absolute neutrophil counts and CSF/serum glucose ratio were not different between two groups.
CONCLUSION
Enteroviral meningitis could manifest without pleocytosis. We therefore think that CSF RT-PCR is helpful for the diagnosis, especially in suspected cases, which leads to shorter hospital stay and minimal use of antibiotics.

Keyword

Enterovirus; Pleocytosis; Meningitis; Child

MeSH Terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Child
Diagnosis
Encephalitis
Enterovirus
Glucose
Gyeonggi-do
Humans
Korea
Length of Stay
Leukocytosis*
Medical Records
Meningitis*
Neutrophils
Retrospective Studies
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Glucose