Acute ischemic stroke in young adults with tuberculous meningitis.

Background: Ischemic stroke is a common complication in patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM), which is associated with poor clinical outcome. However, risk factors of stroke in TBM patients were not fully understood, especially in those young adults. Therefore, the aim of our study was to identify risk factors for acute ischemic stroke in young adults with TBM.

Methods: TBM patients (18 to 50 years) without cerebral vascular risk factors were prospective recruited between Feb 2014 and Dec 2017. Patients were defined as stroke group and non-stroke group by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, basal meningeal enhancement, hydrocephalus, tuberculoma and clinical outcome were compared between two groups. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for acute ischemic stroke in young TBM patients.

Results: Fifty-two patients with TBM were included and 12 (23.1%) patients were in stroke group. Patients in stroke group were older. Clinical presentations were comparable between two groups except headache was more common in TBM patients with stroke. In CSF examination, TBM patients with stroke had higher CSF white blood cell. By MRI, patients in stroke group were more likely to have basal meningeal enhancement but less likely to present tuberculoma. Compared to non-stroke group, patients in stroke group had worse short-term clinical outcome. In logistic regression, age (OR = 1.297; 95%CI 1.067, 1.576), CSF white blood cell (OR = 1.023; 95%CI 1.005, 1.042) and basal meningeal enhancement (OR = 23.913; 95%CI 1.398, 408.975) were independent risk factors for stroke. However, tuberculoma (OR = 0.005; 95%CI 0.000, 0.254) was negative related with stroke.

Conclusions: About a quarter of young adults with TBM have acute ischemic stroke which may lead to poor clinical outcome. Age, CSF white blood cell and basal meningeal enhancement are risk factors for acute ischemic stroke in young adults with TBM.