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Correlation of MRI Findings and CSF Patterns in Children with Bacterial and Tuberculous Meningitis: A Retrospective Analysis from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Peshawar
No full textObjective: To evaluate the correlation between MRI findings and CSF profiles for differentiating bacterial and tuberculous meningitis.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 336 pediatric patients (1 month–14 years) diagnosed with meningitis from September to December 2024. CSF biochemical and cytological parameters and MRI findings were analyzed using statistical tests, including the Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman correlation. Ethical approval was obtained.
Results: MRI revealed infarcts (53.6%) as the most common complication, followed by hydrocephalus (22.6%) and tuberculomas (27.7%). Tuberculomas were exclusive to tuberculous meningitis (p = 0.010), infarcts were more common in bacterial meningitis (p = 0.001), and hydrocephalus was more frequent in tuberculous meningitis (p = 0.042). CSF analysis showed elevated protein and lymphocytic predominance in tuberculous meningitis, while bacterial meningitis showed neutrophilic dominance and low glucose. MRI abnormalities correlated with CSF changes, with protein and glucose linked to tuberculous meningitis (r = 0.413, p < 0.001) and infarcts to bacterial meningitis (r = 0.348, p = 0.002).
Conclusion: Integrating MRI with CSF analysis improves differentiation between bacterial and tuberculous meningitis in children, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and treatment. Further research is needed
