J Korean Radiol Soc.  1984 Sep;20(3):414-423. 10.3348/jkrs.1984.20.3.414.

A study on correlation between CT findings and clinical course of meningitis in children

• Song CS
• Chang KH
• Yeon KM
• Hwang YS

• KMID: 2462994
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1984.20.3.414

Abstract

63 cases of meningitis in children were reviewed to study correlation between brain CT findings and clinical course. We divided 63 cases into 3 groups according to clinical course, that is , Group I :Healed without significant sequelae. Group II: Discharged with sequelae such as neurologic deficit or complicated clinical course. Group III : Expired or considered to be expired after hopeless discharge. The CT finding were retrospectively analyzed and compared with each clinical group. We drawed several conclusions as follows; 1. The wrost prognostic CT finding is dirty basal cisternal enhancement. (Group I only 5%, Group II 50%, Group III 45%).2. Focal brain parenchymal lesion, especially multiple, such as granuloma and infarct shows unfavorable clinical outcome, that is, high rate of Group III and evident neurologic deficit, in contrast to only 7% of Group I. 3. In 7 cases of which CT finding is only hydrocephalus, the prognosis is rather favorable, that is, 57% were Group I, 43% were improved after V-P shunt (Group II) and no Group III. But hydrocephalus with dirty disternal enhancement results in grave prognosis, that is, Group I only 8%, Grouop II 54%, Group III 38%, With regard to overall hydrocephalus, predilectron for good or bad prognosis can't be mentioned. 4. No prognostic difference were noted between presence and absence of periventricular low desnity in hydrocephalus. 5. CSF pressure of hydrocephalus ismostly high (over 20cm H20). but normal pressure hydrocephalus were noted in 24%. CSF pressure of normal ventriclesize is mostly under 18cm H2O) but high pressure were noted in 18% of the nomral sized venticle (most of them shows intracranial space occupying lesion such as granuloma, acute infarct, subdural effusion, etc). 6. Most of diffuse braine swelling, diffuse brain atrophy and subdural effusion result in Group I, that is, favorable clinical outcome. 7. Normal CT findings ar found in 29%, of which 61% belong to Group I and 31% to Group II.

MeSH Terms

Atrophy
Brain
Child*
Granuloma
Humans
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure
Meningitis*
Neurologic Manifestations
Prognosis
Retrospective Studies
Subdural Effusion