Symptoms and features of the course of serous meningitis

Serous meningitis is a diagnosis that means that one of the brain membranes (it is common to the spinal cord and brain) has occurred, and it is caused either by a virus or a tubercle bacillus, or there is a fungal infection. This diagnosis is made only on the basis of a spinal puncture performed to a man , since without it, only by general symptoms, it is almost impossible to distinguish purulent from serous meningitis.

What changes will the doctor tell you that this meningitis is serous?

To carry out such a diagnosis, you need only about a milliliter of cerebrospinal fluid (which is grown up to 1 liter per day in an adult). It is normal to have a certain number of cells (it varies depending on the age), which must be represented by lymphocytes. In the case of diagnosis of serous meningitis, there is an increased content of cells in the liquid. Most of them are represented by lymphocytes (more than 50%).

Features of the course of viral serous meningitis

As already mentioned above, this type of meningitis is caused by either viruses or tubercle bacillus. Enterovirus meningitis can begin with a common cold, upset of a stool, sore throat and even a small-to-reddish rash. They are then joined by signs characteristic of any meningitis: fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, increased skin sensitivity, photophobia, behavioral changes in the patient.

Herpetic meningitis (the most dangerous for life) can have a short prodromal period in the form of a bubble rash near the mucous lips or genitals, choking in the throat, after which the head begins to ache, such symptoms as convulsions with loss of consciousness, hallucinations, delirium, Oppression of consciousness up to a coma. Serous meningitis can occur as a complication of any viral disease: against the background of manifestations of such pathologies as measles, parotitis, chicken pox, headache, temperature rises, convulsions, coordination disorders, and other neurologic manifestations.

Signs of tuberculous serous meningitis

Pathology is rarely a complication of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults. In school-age children, the development of this type of disease usually begins with the presence of a tuberculous process in the lungs or in lymph nodes. At first the child becomes sluggish. In the evenings, he may have a headache (but not much), he loses his appetite, begins to learn worse. The temperature is normal or does not reach 37.4 degrees. Headache, neck pain do not pass for 3-4 days, so the child is taken to the pediatrician. Meningeal symptoms in this case are negative, so the doctor prescribes treatment as for ARVI. Then the disease develops like this: the headache does not pass through the background of treatment, the child again leads to the doctor, he is examined by the ENT and diagnoses "frontitis" (inflammation of the frontal sinus). The prescribed treatment again does not help, the child continues to complain of a headache, can fall into fainting on walks, notes the doubling of objects. Serous meningitis symptoms are characteristic only at the end of 2-3 weeks. And only then the diagnosis is finally made.

Consequences of meningitis

Of the most common symptoms, there is a headache that persists for several years, appearing "on the weather," and the patient's behavior is disturbed. After serous meninitis, there may be a deterioration in hearing and vision, smell and memory. Often, the activity of receptors and mental processes can be restored if you are engaged with a neurologist-rehabilitologist after the end of the disease. In the case of herpetic and related with it (the cytomegalovirus, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, the windmill) of the meningitis, the prognosis is very difficult. These viruses leave behind a large percentage of disabled people, so timely and correct therapy is very important here.