<unk> -autopsy, showing associated brain oedema and congestion Diagnosis of TB meningitis is made by analysing cerebrospinal fluid collected by lumbar puncture. When collecting CSF for suspected TB meningitis, a minimum of 1ml of fluid should be taken (preferably 5 to 10ml). The CSF usually has a high protein, low glucose and a raised number of lymphocytes. Acid-fast bacilli are sometimes seen on a CSF smear, but more commonly, M.<unk> is is grown in culture. A spiderweb clot in the collected CSF is characteristic of TB meningitis, but is a rare finding. ELISPOT testing is not useful for the diagnosis of acute TB meningitis and is often false negative, but may paradoxically become positive after treatment has started, which helps to confirm the diagnosis. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) This is a group of tests that use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect mycobacterial nucleic acid. These test vary in which nucleic acid sequence they detect and vary in their accuracy. The two most common commercially available tests are the amplified mycobacterium<unk> is direct test (MTD, Gen-Probe) and Amplicor. In 2007, review concluded that for diagnosing<unk>  "Individually, the AMTD test appears to perform the best (sensitivity 74% and specificity 98%)", they found the pooled prevalence of TB meningitis to be 29%.
Tuberculous meningitis
Fungal meningitis
Drug-induced aseptic meningitis
Aseptic meningitis
Herpesviral meningitis
Viral meningitis
Granulomatous meningoencephalitis
Herpesviral encephalitis