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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour family doctor or pediatrician can diagnose meningitis based on a medical history, a physical exam and certain diagnostic tests. During the exam, your doctor may check for signs of infection around the head, ears, throat and the skin along the spine. You or your child may undergo the following diagnostic tests:
- Blood cultures. Blood drawn from a vein is sent to a laboratory and placed in a special dish to see if it grows microorganisms, particularly bacteria. A sample may also be placed on a slide to which stains are added (Gram's stain), then examined under a microscope for bacteria.
- Imaging. X-rays and computerized tomography (CT) scans of the head, chest or sinuses may reveal swelling or inflammation. These tests can also help your doctor look for infection in other areas of the body that may be associated with meningitis.
- Spinal tap (lumbar puncture). The definitive diagnosis of meningitis is often made by analyzing a sample of your cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is collected during a procedure known as a spinal tap. In people with meningitis, the CSF fluid often shows a low sugar (glucose) level along with an increased white blood cell count and increased protein. CSF analysis may also help your doctor identify the exact bacterium that's causing the illness. It can take up to a week to get these test results, If your doctor suspects meningitis, he or she may order a DNA-based test known as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to check for the presence of viral causes of meningitis. This may provide results about your meningitis in as little as four hours and help to determine proper treatment.
If you have chronic meningitis caused by cancer or an inflammatory illness, you may need additional tests.
- Meningitis questions & answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/about/faq.html. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- Tunkel AR. Clinical features and diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2010.
- Meningitis and encephalitis fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/encephalitis_meningitis/detail_encephalitis_meningitis.htm. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- Johnson RP. Aseptic meningitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- Meningococcal vaccines: What you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mening.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- FDA approves the first vaccine to prevent meningococcal disease in infants and toddlers. FDA. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm252392.htm. Accessed April 27, 2011.
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