Tuberculous Meningitis in Children

Paediatric hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is classically considered as a failure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homeostasis that results in the active expansion of the cerebral ventricles. Infants with hydrocephalus can present with progressive increases in head circumference whereas older children often present with signs and symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure. Congenital hydrocephalus is present at or near birth and some cases have been linked to gene mutations that disrupt brain morphogenesis and alter the biomechanics of the CSF-brain interface. Acquired hydrocephalus can develop at any time after birth, is often caused by central nervous system infection or haemorrhage and has been associated with blockage of CSF pathways and inflammation-dependent dysregulation of CSF secretion and clearance. Treatments for hydrocephalus mainly include surgical CSF shunting or endoscopic third ventriculostomy with or without choroid plexus cauterization. In utero treatment of fetal hydrocephalus is possible via surgical closure of associated neural tube defects. Long-term outcomes for children with hydrocephalus vary widely and depend on intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic factors. Advances in genomics, brain imaging and other technologies are beginning to refine the definition of hydrocephalus, increase precision of prognostication and identify nonsurgical treatment strategies.

Surgery for Central Nervous System Tuberculosis in Children

Tuberculosis (TB) is the second most common cause of death due to a single infectious agent worldwide after COVID-19. Central nervous system tuberculosis is widely prevalent in the world, especially in the developing countries and continues to be a socioeconomic problem. It is highly devastating form of tuberculosis leading to unacceptable levels of morbidity and mortality despite appropriate antitubercular therapy. The clinical symptoms are varied and nonspecific. They can be easily overlooked. Tuberculous meningitis is the most common presentation and its sequelae viz. vasculitis, infarction and hydrocephalus can be devastating. The ensuing cognitive, intellectual, and endocrinological outcome can be a significant source of morbidity and mortality, especially in resource constrained countries. Early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculous meningitis and institution of treatment is helpful in limiting the course of disease process. The diagnosis of CNS tuberculosis remains a formidable diagnostic challenge. The microbiological methods alone cannot be relied upon. CSF diversion procedures need to be performed at the appropriate time in order to achieve good outcomes. Tuberculous pachymeningitis and arachnoiditis are morbid sequelae of tuberculous meningitis. Tuberculomas present as mass lesions in the craniospinal axis. Tuberculous abscess can mimic pyogenic abscess and requires high index of suspicion. Calvarial tuberculosis is seen in children and responds well to antituberculous chemotherapy. Tuberculosis of the spinal cord is seen similar to intracranial tuberculosis in pathogenesis but with its own unique clinical manifestations and management. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is a formidable problem, and alternate chemotherapy should be promptly instituted. The pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of central nervous system tuberculosis in children are summarized. Heightened clinical suspicion is paramount to ensure prompt investigation. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to a gratifying outcome and prevent complications.

Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model and Bedside Score for the Neurological Outcome in Children with Tuberculous Meningitis

Only a few studies have explored prognostic factors for tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in children, and an easily applicable bedside prognostic score for TBM has not been developed yet. We compared the sociodemographic, clinical, radiological, and cerebrospinal fluid parameters in the cohort of 94 TBM cases aged 1 to 18 years, with at least 6 months of completed follow-up and determined the prognostic factors associated with poor functional outcome. We assessed our proposed prognostic model using both discrimination and calibration and subsequently used the bootstrap method to validate the model internally. We finally derived an easily applicable bedside prognostic score by rounding off the regression coefficients to the nearest integers. A total of 39 (41%) and 55 (59%) patients had poor and good functional outcomes, respectively, at the end of 6 months (12 died, 13%). In multivariate analysis, a high baseline Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) score, brain infarction in neuroimaging, tonic motor posturing, younger age, and stage III TBM were independent predictors of poor functional outcomes. The final model showed good discrimination (area under the curve = 88.2%, P < 0.001) and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0.53). Bootstrapping also confirmed the internal validity of this model. The PITAS (PCPC score [P], brain infarction in neuroimaging [I], tonic motor posturing [T], age [A], and stage of TBM [S]) score developed from this model has a score ranging from 0 to 12, with a higher score predicting a higher risk of poor functional outcome. The PITAS score performed better than medical research council staging alone in predicting poor functional outcomes (area under the curve = 87.1% versus 82.3%). Our study's PITAS score, developed and internally validated, has good sensitivity and specificity in predicting poor functional outcomes in pediatric TBM cases at 6 months.

Tuberculosis of the central nervous system in children

BACKGROUND

Central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB) in children is still a socioeconomic problem in developing countries. It has varied manifestations, symptoms are nonspecific, diagnosis can be challenging, and treatment may be difficult. It is often missed or overlooked. Among the various pathological entities, tuberculous meningitis is the most common and devastating manifestation. The resultant vasculitis, infarction, and hydrocephalus can be life-threatening. It can have grave cognitive, intellectual, and endocrine sequelae if not treated in time resulting in handicap, especially in resource constraint countries. Early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculous meningitis is the single most important factor determining outcome. Tuberculous hydrocephalus needs to be recognized early, and cerebrospinal fluid diversion procedure needs to be performed in adequate time to prevent morbidity or mortality in some cases. Tuberculous pachymeningitis and arachnoiditis are rare in children. Tuberculous abscess can mimic pyogenic abscess and requires high index of suspicion. Calvarial tuberculosis is seen in children and responds well to antituberculous chemotherapy. Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a formidable problem, and alternate chemotherapy should be promptly instituted.

AIM

The pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of central nervous system tuberculosis in children are summarized.

CONCLUSION

Heightened clinical suspicion, early diagnosis, appropriate antituberculous treatment, and surgery in relevant situation are essential for a gratifying outcome and preventing complications.