MODERN DIAGNOSTIC METHODS OF TUBERCULOUS MENINGITIS AMONG CHILDREN'S POPULATION

Abstract

Objective: To study the influence of new methods of diagnostics on the timeliness of the diagnosis verification for tuberculosis meningitis. Methods: 33 case histories of children were studied at aged 4-17 years with tuberculous meningitis who were hospitalized at the Children's Tuberculosis Hospital in Dushanbe from 2009 to 2017 years. The boys were 22 (66%), girls – 11 (34%); of the villagers – 24 (70.3%), the city – 11 (29.7%). Results: All sick children were identified by treatment in the first two weeks from the onset of the disease, with expressed clinical symptoms of meningitis. 16 (48.4%) of children were from foci of tuberculosis infection. In 23 (70%) children, there was no scar after vaccination with BCG. X-ray findings: all had local tuberculosis of the lungs, including 20 cases of miliary tuberculosis. Of the 20 patients with miliary tuberculosis, 6 (33.3%) had positive MTB in the sputum, 8 of the examined MTB were not microscopically detected in the liquor. When studying by molecular genetic method on XpertMTB/RIF, 9 (45%) of 20 patients were found in the sputum, and 4 (50%) of 8 examined in MTB were found in liquor. Of 4 MTB liquor positive, two were stable and two were sensitive to rifampicin. Conclusion: The molecular-genetic method of XpertMTB/RIF promotes an accelerated method of verifying the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis.

Keywords

• tuberculous meningitis
• express diagnostics
• xpertmtb/rif.