meningitis

Examples of meningitis in the following topics:

• Meningitis

  • Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges.
  • Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges .
  • The term aseptic meningitis refers to cases of meningitis in which no bacterial infection can be demonstrated.
  • A lumbar puncture diagnoses or excludes meningitis.
  • Similarly, devices in the brain and meninges such as cerebral shunts carry an increased risk of meningitis.

• Meninges

  • The meninges refer to the several membrane layers that encase the brain.
  • The meninges is the system of membranes that envelopes the central nervous system.
  • Other medical conditions which affect the meninges include meningitis (usually from fungal, bacterial, or viral infection) and meningiomas arising from the meninges or from meningeal carcinomatoses (tumors) formed elsewhere in the body which metastasize to the meninges.
  • This figure displays the meninges with respect to the skull and surface of the brain.
  • Distinguish between the three layers of the meninges of the central nervous system

• Branches of Spinal Nerves

  • The spinal nerves branch into the dorsal ramus, ventral ramus, the meningeal branches, and the rami communicantes.
  • The meningeal branches (recurrent meningeal or sinuvertebral nerves): These branch from the spinal nerve and re-enter the intervertebral foramen to serve the ligaments, dura, blood vessels, intervertebral discs, facet joints, and periosteum of the vertebrae.

• Spinal Tap

  • An example of a situation requiring a lumbar puncture is when meningitis is suspected, since cerebrospinal fluid is the only reliable tool for excluding the disease.
  • The most common reason for a lumbar puncture is to collect cerebrospinal fluid in a case of suspected meningitis.
  • Infants commonly require lumbar puncture as a part of the routine workup for fever without a source, as they have a much higher risk of meningitis than older persons and do not reliably show signs of meningeal irritation.
  • Increased CSF pressure: can indicate conditions causing increased intracranial pressure, such as congestive heart failure, cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage, meningeal inflammation, purulent meningitis or tuberculous meningitis, hydrocephalus, or pseudotumor cerebri.
  • The presence of white blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid, called pleocytosis: a large number of these cells often heralds bacterial meningitis.

• Body Cavity Membranes

  • The meninges is the system of membranes which envelops the central nervous system.
  • In mammals, the meninges consist of three layers: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater .
  • The primary function of the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid is to protect the central nervous system.
  • The middle element of the meninges is the arachnoid mater, so named because of its spider web-like appearance.
  • It is the meningeal envelope which firmly adheres to the surface of the brain and spinal cord, following the brain's minor contours (gyri and sulci).

• West Nile Virus

  • West Nile meningitis, which causes inflammation of the meninges (the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord)
  • West Nile meningoencephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain and surrounding meninges
  • Discuss the causes, symptoms and diseases (West Nile encephalitis, meningitis, meningoencephalitis and poliomyelitis) caused by the West Nile virus (WNV)

• Pathogenic Escherichia coli

  • In humans, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and neonatal meningitis can occur.
  • Neonatal meningitis is produced by a serotype of E. coli that contains a capsular antigen called K1.
  • The colonization of the newborn's intestines with these stems, that are present in the mother's vagina, lead to bacteraemia, which leads to meningitis.
  • Severe meningitis in the neonates are caused because of the absence of the IgM antibodies from the mother (these do not cross the placenta because FcRn only mediates the transfer of IgG), plus the fact that the body recognizes as self the K1 antigen, as it resembles the cerebral glicopeptides.

• Cryptococcosis

  • Cryptococcal meningitis (infection of the meninges, the tissue covering the brain) is believed to result from dissemination of the fungus from either an observed or unappreciated pulmonary infection.
  • Often there is also silent dissemination throughout the brain when meningitis is present.

• Listeriosis

  • If the infection spreads to the nervous system it can cause meningitis, an infection of the covering of the brain and spinal cord.
  • This involves a bacterial protein "internalin" which attaches to a protein on the intestinal cell membrane "cadherin. " These adhesion molecules are also to be found in two other unusually tough barriers in humans - the blood-brain barrier and the feto-placental barrier, and this may explain the apparent affinity that Listeria has for causing meningitis and affecting babies in-utero.
  • In the advent of listeriosis, bacteremia should be treated for two weeks, meningitis for three weeks, and brain abscess for at least six weeks.

• Body Cavities

  • The meninges is a multi-layered membrane within the dorsal cavity that envelops and protects the brain and spinal cord.
  • This cavity contains the brain, the meninges of the brain, and cerebrospinal fluid.
  • These include the spinal cord, the meninges of the spinal cord, and the fluid-filled spaces between them.