Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28288691›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2017

Immunological diagnosis as an adjunctive tool for an early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis of an immune competent child in a low tuberculosis endemic country: a case report.

Serena Vita, Camilla Ajassa, Emanuela Caraffa, Miriam Lichtner, Claudia Mascia, Fabio Mengoni, Maria Grazia Paglia, Cristina Mancarella, Davide Colistra, Claudio Di Biasi and 3 more

Abstract readCase Reports
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC research notes, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Serena VitaDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy. serena.vita@uniroma1.it.
Camilla AjassaDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Emanuela CaraffaDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Miriam LichtnerDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Polo Pontino, 04100, Latina, Italy.
Claudia MasciaDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Fabio MengoniDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Maria Grazia PagliaMicrobiology Laboratory, National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Lazzaro Spallanzani, 00149, Rome, Italy.
Cristina MancarellaDepartment of Neurology and Psychiatry, Division of Neurosurgery, Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Davide ColistraDepartment of Neurology and Psychiatry, Division of Neurosurgery, Sapienza, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Claudio Di BiasiDepartment of Emergency and Acceptance, Unit of Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
Rosa Maria CiardiDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Claudio Maria MastroianniDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Polo Pontino, 04100, Latina, Italy.
Vincenzo VulloDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPediatric tuberculous meningitis is a highly morbid, often fatal disease. Its prompt diagnosis and treatment saves lives, in fact delays in the initiation of therapy have been associated with high mortality rates. CASE PRESENTATION: This is a case of an Italian child who was diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis after a history of a month of headache, fatigue and weight loss. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed a lymphocytic pleocytosis with predominance and decreased glucose concentration. Microscopy and conventional diagnostic tests to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis were negative, while a non classical method based on intracellular cytokine flow cytometry response of CD4 cells in cerebral spinal fluid helped us to address the diagnosis, that was subsequently confirmed by a nested polymerase chain reaction amplifying a 123 base pair fragment of the M. tuberculosis DNA.

conclusionsWe diagnosed tuberculous meningitis at an early stage through an innovative immunological approach, supported by a nested polymerase chain reaction for detection of M. tuberculosis DNA. An early diagnosis is required in order to promptly initiate a therapy and to increase the patient's survival.

Indexed as

ChildFemaleFlow CytometryHumansItalyLeukocytosisTuberculosis, MeningealChildrenHydrocephalusICCFCImmunological diagnosisTuberculous meningitis

Identifiers

PMID28288691
PMCPMC5347815

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