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Pathology - Y5 > CNS Infections and Meningitis > Flashcards

CNS Infections and Meningitis Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 modes to entry for CNS infections?

A
  • Haematogenous spread
  • Direct implantation - via instrumentation
  • Local extension - secondary to established infections
  • PNS into CNS
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2
Q

What is meningitis?

A

Region: Meninges

Signs and symptoms: Fever, headache, stiff neck, usually some disturbance of brain function.

Causative agents: Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, TB, Various viruses, Cryptococcus neoformans

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3
Q

What is encephalitis?

A

Region: Brain

Signs and symptoms: Disturbance of brain function

Causative agents: Rabies virus, arboviruses, Trypanosoma species, Prions, Amoeba.

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4
Q

What is myelitis?

A

Region: Spinal cord

Signs and symptoms: Disturbance of nerve transmission

Causative agents: Poliovirus

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5
Q

What is neurotoxin?

A

Region: CNS and PNS

Signs and symptoms: Paralysis, rigid (tetanus) or flaccid (botulism)

Causative agents: Clostridium tetani, Clostridium botulinum

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6
Q

What is meningoencephalitis?

A

Inflammation of meninges and brain parenchyma

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7
Q

How does meningitis cause neurological damage?

A
  • Direct bacterial toxicity.
  • Indirect inflammatory process and cytokine release and oedema.
  • Shock, seizures, and cerebral hypoperfusion.
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8
Q

What is the prognosis of meningitis?

A

Mortality ~ 10%

Morbidity ~ 5%

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9
Q

What are the three classifications of meningitis?

A
  • Acute
  • Chronic
  • Aseptic
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10
Q

What are signs and symptoms of meningitis?

A
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Light aversion
  • Drowsiness
  • Joint pain
  • Fitting
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11
Q

What are causes of acute meningitis?

A

Mostly bacterial causes

  • Neisseria meningitidis
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Haemophilus influenzae
  • Listeria monocytogenes
  • Group B Streptococcus
  • Escherichia coli
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Treponema pallidum
  • Cryptococcus neoformans
  • Candida
  • Coccidioides immitis
  • Histoplasma capsulatum
  • Blastomyces dermatitidis
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12
Q

What are features of infection with N. Meningitidis?

A

Infectious cause of childhood death in all countries.

Transmission is person-to-person, from asymptomatic carriers.

Pathogenic strains are found in only 1% of carriers.

Cause infections in less than 10 days.

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13
Q

What is a classical feature of meningococcal meningitis?

A

A nonblanching rash (petechial or purpuric) develops in 80% of children.

A maculopapular rash remains in 13% of children, and no rash occurs in 7%.

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14
Q

What are links between meningitis and septicaemia?

A
  • 50% of cases have meningitis
  • 7-10% have septicemia
  • 40% have septicemia AND meningitis
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15
Q

Why is the clinical difference between meningitis and septicaemia important?

A

The clinical difference between septicemia and meningitis is important because patients who present with shock are treated differently than patients who present primarily with increased intracranial pressure (ICP).

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16
Q

Which 4 processes produce the clinical spectrum of septicaemia?

A

Capillary leak: Albumin and other plasma proteins leads to hypovolemia.

Coagulopathy: Leads to bleeding and thrombosis.

  • Endothelial injury results in platelet-release reactions
  • The protein C pathway.
  • Plasma anticoagulants.

Metabolic derangement: Particularly acidosis

Myocardial failue: And multi-organ failure.

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17
Q

What is present on the CT scan of a patient with TB meningitis?

A

Enhancement in the basal cistern and meninges, with dilatation of the ventricles.

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18
Q

What is chronic tuberculosis meningitis?

A

Incidence: 544 per 100,000 population in Africa.

More common in patients who are immunosuppressed.

Mortality was 5.5 deaths per 100,000 persons.

Involves the meninges and basal cisterns of the brain and spinal cord.

Can result in tuberculous granulomas, tuberculous abscesses, or cerebritis.

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19
Q

What does a tuberculosis abscess look like on a CT head?

A

Enhancing thick-walled abscess.

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20
Q

What are features of aseptic meningitis?

A

Aseptic meningitis is the most common infection of the CNS. Patients with aseptic meningitis have headache, stiff neck, and photophobia.

A nonspecific rash can accompany these symptoms.

Enteroviruses (e.g. Coxsackievirus group B and echoviruses) are responsible for 80-90% cases in which a causative organism of aseptic meningitis is identified. It most frequently occurs in children younger than 1 year.

The clinical course of aseptic meningitis is self-limited and resolves in 1-2 weeks.

21
Q

How is encephalitis transmitted?

A

Transmission is commonly either person to person, or through vectors:

  • Mosquitoes
  • Lice
  • Ticks
22
Q

What are some causative organisms of encephalitis?

A

Various viridae from Togavirus, Flavivirus, and Bunyavirus families.

But, West Nile Virus is becoming a leading cause of encephalitis internationally.

23
Q

What are some non viral causes of encephalitis?

A

Bacterial encephalitis:

  • Listeria monocytogenes

Amoebic encephalitis:

  • Naegleria fowleri: Habitat – warm water
  • Acanthamoeba species, and Balamuthia mandrillaris: Brain abscess, aseptic or chronic meningitis.
24
Q

What is a parasitic cause of encephalitis?

A

Toxoplasmosis

An obligate intracellular protozoal parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Via the oral, transplacental route or organ transplantation.

Severe infection in immunocompromised patients.

Affected organs include the gray and white matter of the brain, retinas, alveolar lining of the lungs, heart, and skeletal muscle.

25
Q

Which conditions can result in brain abscesses?

A
  • Otitis media
  • Mastoiditis
  • Paranasal sinuses
  • Endocarditis
  • Haematogenously
26
Q

What are some causative organisms of a brain abscess?

A
  • Streptococci (both aerobic and anaerobic)
  • Staphylococci
  • Gram-negative organisms (particularly in neonates)
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Fungi
  • Parasites
  • Actinomyces and Nocardia species
27
Q

What can cause spinal infections?

A

Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis common form of vertebral infection.

Direct open spinal trauma, from infections in adjacent structures, from hematogenous spread of bacteria to a vertebra.

Left untreated, it can lead to permanent neurologic deficits, significant spinal deformity, or death.

28
Q

What are risk factors of spinal infections?

A
  • Advanced age
  • Intravenous drug use
  • Long-term systemic steroids
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Organ transplantation
  • Malnutrition
  • Cancer
29
Q

What are investigations for CNS infections?

A

MRI is superior to CT scanning in detecting parenchymal abnormalities such as abscesses and infarctions.

Central nervous system infections:

  • CSF sample
  • Brain tissue
30
Q

What does this CSF study represent?

Appearance: Clear

Cells x 106/l: 0-5 leukocytes

Gram stain: Negative

Protein g/l: 0.15-0.4

Glucose mmol/l: >60% blood glucose level

31
Q

What does this CSF study represent?

Appearance: Turbid

Cells x 106/l: 100-10,000 polymorphs

Gram stain: Positive results

Protein g/l: 0.5-4.0

Glucose mmol/l: <60% blood glucose level

A

Purulent meningitis

DDx:

  • Bacterial meningitis
  • ?Meningococcus
  • ?Pneumococcus
  • ?Listeria
32
Q

What does this CSF study represent?

Appearance: Clear or slightly turbid

Cells x 106/l: 15-1000 lymphocytes

Gram stain: Negative

Protein g/l: 0.5-1.0

Glucose mmol/l: >60% blood glucose level

A

Aseptic meningitis

DDx:

  • Viral meningitis
  • Partially antibiotic treated bacterial meningitis
  • Encephalitis
  • Brain abscess
  • TB/fungal meningitis
33
Q

What does this CSF study represent?

Appearance: Clear or slightly turbid

Cells x 106/l: 30-1000 lymphocytes or some polymorphs

Gram stain: Negative

Protein g/l: 1.0-6.0

Glucose mmol/l: <60% blood glucose level

A

Tuberculosis meningitis

DDx:

  • TB meningitis
  • Brain abscess
  • Cryptococcal meningitis
34
Q

A 20 year old woman presents with headache and neck stiffness. What is the causative pathogen?

A

Gram positive cocci

Pneumococcus

35
Q

A 18 year old man present with headache and neck stiffness. What is the causative pathogen?

A

Gram negative cocci

Meningococcus

36
Q

A 65 year old presents with headache and neck stiffness. What is the causative pathogen?

A

Gram positive rod

Listeria

37
Q

A 45 year old presents with headache and neck stiffness. What is the causative pathogen?

A

Ziehl-Neelsen stain

TB

38
Q

A 35 year old presents with headache and neck stiffness. What is the causative pathogen?

A

Indian ink stains

Cryptococcus

39
Q

What are the limitations of diagnostics in CNS infections?

A

MRI oedema pattern and moderate mass effect cannot be differentiated from tumor or stroke or vasculitis in some patients.

Infections in early stages and serological tests.

Amount of CSF.

PCR techniques.

Methods to detect amoebic infections.

Availability of good laboratory technique.

40
Q

What is the management of meningitis?

A

Ceftriaxone 2g IV bd

If >50yrs or immunocompromised add:

Amoxicillin 2g IV 4hourly

41
Q

What is the management of meningoencephalitis?

A

Aciclovir 10mg/kg IV tds

Ceftriaxone 2g IV bd

If >50yrs or immunocompromised add:

Amoxicillin 2g IV 4hourly

42
Q

What is the recommended therapy for S. Pneumoniae or N. Meningitidis?

A

Pen G 18-24 mu/d

Amoxicillin 12 g/d

Ceftriaxone 4 g/d

Chloro 75-100 mg/kg/d

43
Q

What is the recommended therapy for H. Influenzae?

A

Cefotaxime 12 g/d

Ceftriaxone 4 g/d

44
Q

What is the recommended therapy for Group B Strep?

A

Pen G

Amoxicillin [plus aminoglycoside]

45
Q

What is the recommended therapy for Listeria?

A

Amoxicillin 12 g/d [plus aminoglycoside]

46
Q

What is the recommended therapy for Gram negative bacilli?

A

Cefotaxime 12 g/d

Ceftriaxone 4g/d

47
Q

What is the recommended therapy for Pseudomonas?

A

Meropenem 6g/d

Ceftazidime 6g/d

48
Q

What is the most common cause of encephalitis in the UK?

Pathology - Y5 (59 decks)

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