The Clinical peculiarities and causes of meningismus in children

Abstract

Introduction Meningismus is a condition in which the patient shows signs of meningitis (characterized by neck stiffness, headache, and other symptoms suggestive of meningeal irritation), but cerebrospinal fluid is normal [1]. The condition is associated with systemic viral or bacterial infections and a wide range of neurological pathology [2]. Aim To evaluate the clinical peculiarities and causes of children meningismus due to infectious diseases. Objectives 1. To assess the frequency of meningismus in children. 2. To evaluate epidemiological, demographic, clinical and laboratory features of meningismus. 3. To analyze the reasons of the meningismus. Methods Retrospective analysis of cases of meningismus in children, treated in Kaunas Clinical hospital in 2013 – 2014 year. Cases were selected by TLK-10 classification (R 29.1). The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical symptoms and results of lumbar puncture (WBC ≤5×109/l in cerebrospinal fluid). Data about patient's gender and age, course of the disease and clinical symptoms (fever, nausea/vomiting, headache, meningeal symptoms) and laboratory (blood test, CRP) tests, length of the hospitalization were analyzed. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS 22.0 statistical package. Frequencies, means and standard deviations were calculated. Results A total of 42 children with meningismus were hospitalized in analyzed period. That made 0,45% of all children (n = 9344) treated in Kaunas Clinical hospital during 2013-2014 year. The highest rate of meningismus was observed from July to October – 64,29% of cases. Patients were from 2 to 17 years old (mean age 9,31 ± 4.4 years). In 61,9% of cases children age ranged from 4 to 10 years old. More than half of the patients were boys 54,76%. Children were hospitalized from first to eighth day of the disease, in average on 2.19 ± 1.94 day, most of children (n = 20) - on the first day of the disease. 97,62.[...].