LG 2.1 Pathology of Secondary Headaches Central Nervous System Infections Flashcards
What is meningitis?
Inflammation of the meninges caused by viral or bacterial infection and marked by intense headache and fever, sensitivity to light, and muscular rigidity, leading (in severe cases) to convulsions, delirium, and death.
What is leptomeningitis?
Infection of the inner two meninges, the arachnoid and the pia mater, between which circulates the cerebrospinal fluid.
What is pachymeningitis?
Thickening of the intracranial dura mater, when associated with an infectious, malignant, or rheumatic systematic disease and inflammation is restricted to its outer surface
Where do Cryptococcus grow in the brain?
Grow in the leptomeninges
Where do Aspergillus grow in the brain?
Aggressively induces cerebral parenchymal abscesses
Where does polio virus grow in the brain?
Selects the motor neurons of the spinal cord and bulbar area
Where does HSV localizes in the brain?
In the temporal lobes
Where do Treponema grow in the brain?
Gains access to the CNS through the bloodstream with prolonged residency in neural tissues, causing infection, sensory abnormalities and dementia.
What does RMSF target in the brain?
Cerebral Endothelial cells
What are the most common viral causative agents of meningitis?
- Enteroviruses including Coxsackie B
- Mumps virus
- Epstein-Barr Virus (Infectious Mono)
- Echovirus
- Herpesvirus
What is the most common causative agent of bacterial meningitis in neonates?
E. Coli and Group B Strep
What is the most common causative agent of bacterial meningitis in infant (3 months to 3 years)?
H. Influenza
What is the most common causative agent of bacterial meningitis in adults?
Strep pneumococcus
What is the most common causative agent of bacterial meningitis in military barracks?
N. meningitidis
What are the defining features of tuberculous meningitis?
- Found meninges at base of brain around chasm
- Can cause meningeal fibrosis leading to communicating hydrocephalus
- Lead to artheritis and parenchymal infarcts
What meningitis are defined by having lymphocytes?
Hallmark of meningitis caused by tuberculosis, viral meningitides, and chronic fungal infections (Cryptococcal meningitis)
What is the most common immune cell found in bacterial meningitis?
Neutrophils