[Etiology of infectious diseases in the central nervous system].

Abstract

Objective: To determine the etiological characteristics of infectious diseases in the central neural system (CNS).

Methods: The serum and cerebral spinal fluid of acute patients in the CNS were detected for virus-specific IgM, IgG and pathogens with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as well as traditional bacterial and fungal culture.

Results: Of the 823 patients, 126 (15.3%) patients were positive herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific IgM and/or IgG, of which the maximum morbidity was under 10 years; 10(1.2%) were positive cytomegalovirus specific IgM and/or IgG; 8 (0.97%) were positive varicella-zoster virus specific IgM and/or IgG; 7 (0.85%) were diagnosed as tubercular meningitis; 6 (0.72%) as cryptocococes meningitis and 1 (0.12%) as meningococcic meningitis.

Conclusion: Viruses, especially herpes simplex viruses are the common causative agents of infectious diseases of the CNS, in which mycobacterium tuberculosis and cryptocococcus neoformans are conspicuous.