Diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis by detection of antigen and antibodies in CSF and sera.

Objective: To evaluate diagnostic potential of three immunological tests, namely, detection of H37Rv antigen of M. Tuberculosis in CSF, detection of antibodies (IgG) against H37Rv in CSF and detection of antibodies (IgG) against H37Rv in serum for diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in children.

Subjects: 50 children diagnosed as patients of tuberculous meningitis were included as cases and 48 children with CNS diseases of nontubercular etiology [pyogenic meningitis (n = 31), encephalitis (n = 10), seizure disorder of unknown etiology (n = 5), brain tumor (n = 2)] served as controls.

Use of the computed tomographic scan in Japanese encephalitis.

Fourteen children with laboratory-confirmed Japanese encephalitis were given cranial computed tomographic (CT) scans six to 30 days after the onset of illness. The findings were variable; there was a generalized decrease in attenuation values, three patients showed features of cerebral atrophy, and four others had normal scans. The findings appeared to relate to both the severity and the stage of the illness at the time the scans were made.