Clinical experience in a 46-year-old male patient with tuberculous meningitis: Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common cause of death from a single infectious agent. Tuberculosis is primarily a disease of the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body and cause extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). Approximately 5 % of all cases of EPTB are tuberculous meningitis (TMB), caused by the spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the meninges and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). MTB is the most devastating form of tuberculosis and continues to cause high morbidity and mortality, with approximately 50 % of patients dying or suffering neurological sequelae and complications. The aim of the present study is to learn more about the etiologic, clinical and diagnostic presentation of this pathology. Case report: we present a 46-year-old male patient who reports productive cough of approximately 9 months of evolution with presence of diaphoresis, no evidence of weight loss, 15 days ago the patient reported cough accompanied by hemoptysis, reason for which he went to the nearest health center. His evolution was torpid and his tuberculosis was complicated to tuberculous meningitis where compatible signs and symptoms were evidenced, and immediate treatment was started with isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol and later four months with isoniazid and rifampicin. Conclusions: the rapid diagnosis of MTB requires an understanding and a joint analysis of the clinical, radiological and laboratory findings of our infected and uninfected patients and the evaluation of prognoses