100s of cells, normal sugar, differential dx
Early bacterial meningitis
Partially treated bacterial meningitis
Early granulomatous meningitis
Parameningeal infections- ex: with epidural abscess
Meningovascular syphilis
Lead poisoning (children)
Aseptic meningitis-encephalitis (mumps, enterovirus, arbovirus)
Cerebrovascular accident with cortical necrosis
Vasculitis
Bacterial endocarditis
Fungal infection: leptospirosis (usually acute)
Tumor meningitis
Cerebral abscess
Lyme Disease
100s of cells, decreased sugar, differential dx
Granulomatous meningitis (tuberculous, fungal, listeria,
parasitic, Lyme disease, toxoplasmosis)
Meningovascular syphilis
Sarcoidosis
Neoplastic meningitis
Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage
Rarely with viral meningitis (lymphocytic chorio-meningitis, mumps, herpes
simplex)
1000s of cells, normal sugar (most common category),
differential dx
"Chemical" meningitis
Bacterial meningitis, early or partially treated
1000s of cells, decreased sugar, differential dx
Bacterial meningitis
Granulomatous meningitis