Elusive tuberculous meningitis with rare neurological complication of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis: a case report. 2021

Zaitoon Zafar, and Muhammad Hassan Hafeez, and Mujeeb Ur Rehman Abid Butt
Department of Medicine, Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan.

Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is inflammation of the spinal cord that spans three or more spinal segments. LETM is a rare occurrence on its own and has seldom been reported with tuberculous meningitis (TBM), the rarest and deadliest of tuberculous manifestations. TBM is usually seen in children, the immunocompromised, or those with a previous history of tuberculosis infection. A 24-year-old healthy male with no co-morbidities or history of tuberculosis presented with fever and headache for the past 3 months. The patient's Kernig's and Brudzinski's signs were both negative, with bilateral abnormal plantar reflexes. The neurological level of injury was T8 and the patient was classified as AIS grade A. His CSF analysis showed a lymphocytic picture. However, both GeneXpert and Ziehl-Neelsen staining came back negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. MRI scans of the brain and thoracic spine revealed enhancing nodules and ring lesions in the brain and spinal cord, along with the rare complication of LETM, extending from T2 to T9. Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis was never isolated, the patient started recovering as soon as antituberculous therapy was initiated. Hence, more emphasis needs to be placed on radiological imaging in the management of rare medical emergencies like tuberculous meningitis, especially in areas where tuberculosis is rampant and endemic, rather than waiting for a positive culture. This case report also demonstrates the growing evidence that transverse myelitis and/or LETM is associated with TBM.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008297 Male Males
D009188 Myelitis, Transverse Inflammation of a transverse portion of the spinal cord characterized by acute or subacute segmental demyelination or necrosis. The condition may occur sporadically, follow an infection or vaccination, or present as a paraneoplastic syndrome (see also ENCEPHALOMYELITIS, ACUTE DISSEMINATED). Clinical manifestations include motor weakness, sensory loss, and incontinence. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1242-6) Demyelinative Myelitis,Transverse Myelitis,Myelitis, Acute Transverse,Myelitis, Necrotizing,Myelitis, Paraneoplastic,Myelitis, Postinfectious,Myelitis, Postvaccinal,Myelitis, Subacute Transverse,Postinfectious Myelitis,Transverse Myelopathy Syndrome,Acute Transverse Myelitis,Myelitides, Subacute Transverse,Myelitis, Demyelinative,Necrotizing Myelitis,Paraneoplastic Myelitis,Postvaccinal Myelitis,Subacute Transverse Myelitis,Transverse Myelitis, Acute,Transverse Myelitis, Subacute,Transverse Myelopathy Syndromes
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D013131 Spine The spinal or vertebral column. Spinal Column,Vertebrae,Vertebral Column,Vertebra,Column, Spinal,Column, Vertebral,Columns, Spinal,Columns, Vertebral,Spinal Columns,Vertebral Columns
D014390 Tuberculosis, Meningeal A form of bacterial meningitis caused by MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS or rarely MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS. The organism seeds the meninges and forms microtuberculomas which subsequently rupture. The clinical course tends to be subacute, with progressions occurring over a period of several days or longer. Headache and meningeal irritation may be followed by SEIZURES, cranial neuropathies, focal neurologic deficits, somnolence, and eventually COMA. The illness may occur in immunocompetent individuals or as an OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION in the ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME and other immunodeficiency syndromes. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp717-9) Meningitis, Tuberculous,TB Meningitis,Tubercular Meningitis,Tuberculosis Meningitis,Tuberculous Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis,Hypertrophic Pachymeningitides, Tuberculous,Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis, Tuberculous,Meningeal Tuberculoses,Meningeal Tuberculosis,Meningitides, Tubercular,Meningitides, Tuberculosis,Meningitides, Tuberculous,Meningitis, Tubercular,Meningitis, Tuberculosis,Pachymeningitides, Tuberculous Hypertrophic,Pachymeningitis, Tuberculous Hypertrophic,TB Meningitides,Tubercular Meningitides,Tuberculoses, Meningeal,Tuberculosis Meningitides,Tuberculous Hypertrophic Pachymeningitides,Tuberculous Meningitides,Tuberculous Meningitis
D055815 Young Adult A person between 19 and 24 years of age. Adult, Young,Adults, Young,Young Adults

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