brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Noninfectious Meningitis
Diagnosis of Noninfectious Meningitis
Spinal tap and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid Doctors suspect meningitis when people have a headache and stiff neck, particularly with fever. They then try to determine whether meningitis is bacterial (requiring immediate treatment) or not. If the symptoms are less severe, the cause is less likely to be bacteria. A Spinal Tap (lumbar puncture) is done to obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is done first if doctors suspect that pressure within the skull is increased or that a brain cyst or other mass in the brain is the cause. In such cases, doing a spinal tap may cause a life-threatening disorder called The sample of cerebrospinal fluid is sent to a laboratory to be examined and analyzed. Sugar and protein levels and the number and type of white blood cells in the fluid are determined. The fluid is cultured to check for bacteria and thus rule out or confirm bacterial meningitis. Noninfectious meningitis is possible when the fluid contains excess white blood cells (indicating inflammation) and does not contain any bacteria that could be the cause. Then other tests are done to identify infectious organisms other than bacteria, such as viruses and fungi in the cerebrospinal fluid. Noninfectious meningitis is likely if people have a disorder or take a drug that can cause meningitis and the person's symptoms and test results do not suggest that the cause is an infection. 