Meningitis Diagnosis
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis and culture remains the definitive method for diagnosis of meningitis.
Imaging findings in meningitis are mostly nonspecific with respect to the causative pathogen 1).
Enterovirus detection in cerebrospinal fluid was effective to differentiate bacterial meningitis from viral meningitis. When the test was analyzed together with the Bacterial Meningitis Score, specificity was higher when compared to Bacterial Meningitis Score alone 2).
1)
Mohan S, Jain KK, Arabi M, Shah GV. Imaging of meningitis and ventriculitis.
Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2012 Nov;22(4):557-83. doi: 10.1016/j.nic.2012.04.003.
Epub 2012 Sep 4. Review. PubMed PMID: 23122257.
2)
Pires FR, Franco ACBF, Gilio AE, Troster EJ. Comparison of enterovirus
detection in cerebrospinal fluid with Bacterial Meningitis Score in children.
Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2017 Apr-Jun;15(2):167-172. doi:
10.1590/S1679-45082017AO3880. English, Portuguese. PubMed PMID: 28767914.