Table 3 Clinical presentation, laboratory characteristics and outcome per disease categorya
From: Seizures in adults with suspected central nervous system infection
Characteristic | CNS infection (N = 27) | CNS inflammation (N = 8) | Systemic infection (N = 10) | Other neurological disease (N = 77) | Other systemic disease (N = 2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Headache | 10/20 (50) | 5/6 (83) | 2/6 (33) | 15/57 (26) | 1/2 (50) |
Neck stiffness | 5/20 (25) | 3/7 (43) | 2/9 (22) | 1/58 (2) | 0 |
Fever | 15/27 (56) | 2/7 (29) | 5/10 (50) | 19/76 (25) | 0 |
Predisposing infection | 5 (19) | 0 | 2/10 (20) | 4/77 (52) | 0 |
Altered mental status | 24/27 (89) | 5/8 (63) | 7/10 (70) | 69/76 (91) | 2/2 (100) |
Coma | 12/27 (44) | 1/8 (13) | 1/10 (10) | 28/76 (37) | 0 |
Blood leukocytosis (> 10.5) | 15/27 (56) | 4/8 (50) | 7/10 (70) | 44/76 (58) | 1/2 (50) |
CRP, median | 54 (4–270) | 3 (1–27) | 41 (9–192) | 7 (2–33) | 4 (-) |
 CRP > 5 | 19/26 (73) | 3/7 (43) | 7/9 (78) | 43/70 (61) | 0 |
 CRP > 40 | 13/26 (50) | 1/7 (14) | 5/9 (56) | 13/70 (19) | 0 |
CSF leukocyte count, median | 112 (36–684) | 7 (2–37) | 1 (1–2) | 2 (1–5) | 2 (-) |
 ≥ 5/mm3 | 24/26 (92) | 4/8 (50) | 0 | 23/77 (30) | 0 |
 > 100/mm3 | 15/26 (60) | 1/8 (13) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Unfavorable outcome | 16/27 (59) | 8/8 (100) | 5/10 (50) | 33/77 (43) | 1/2 (50) |
Death | 8/27 (30) | 1/8 (13) | 2/10 (20) | 6/77 (8) | 0 |