The treatment of tuberculous meningitis : a study of twenty-six cases

Prior to the introduction of streptomycin a few years ago, tuberculous meningitis was a one hundred percent fatal disease. It is now justifiable to present a thesis on the treatment of this disease for streptomycin is the first therapeutic agent to be used extensively and successfully in the treatment of tuberculous meningitis. That fifty percent of the patients now live is a remarkable advance, but the fact that half the patients succumb serves to show that treatment is powerless to save those in whom the pathological changes are severe and . incompatible with recovery. Thus death is sometimes inevitable if the disease process is already advanced beyond the limits of the therapeutic power of streptomycin. The only certain preventative measure is earlier diagnosis of the disease. sobering feature of the conquest of this disease is that, though many may now live, some are unable to follow a full and happy life for treatment is not without its complications, some of which are permanent and disabling. It is the purpose of this thesis to describe the results of treatment of twenty -six cases of tuberculous meningitis in all stages and to present some of the factors which make this treatment unsuccessful or unsatisfactory.

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Edinburgh

Year dc:date.issued

1951

Author dc:creator

• Somner, A. R.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1842/27444

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:era.ed.ac.uk:1842/27444