Paper II — 2022 February (2019 Scheme) — Q6

Paper II

2022 February (2019 Scheme) · 100 marks · 180 min

Question

CSF findings in acute bacterial, tuberculous and viral meningitis

Q68 marksShort Essays★✓

Answer

Parameter	Acute bacterial (pyogenic) meningitis	Tuberculous meningitis	Viral meningitis
Appearance	Cloudy/turbid, purulent	Clear or slightly turbid; may form a cobweb clot	Clear
Cell count	Markedly elevated (often >1000/µL)	Moderately elevated (100–500/µL)	Mildly to moderately elevated (usually <500/µL)
Predominant cells	Neutrophils	Lymphocytes	Lymphocytes
Protein	Markedly elevated	Elevated	Normal to mildly elevated
Glucose	Markedly reduced	Reduced	Usually normal
Special tests	Gram stain/culture positive	AFB stain/culture (low sensitivity); ADA elevated; PCR	Viral PCR (e.g., enterovirus, HSV)
Opening pressure	Elevated	Elevated	Normal to mildly elevated

Related Concepts

1. 1Meningitis

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