Abstract

DIAZ ALVAREZ, Manuel; MEDINA GARCIA, Teresa; PEREZ CORDOVA, Rodolfo  and  RIVERA ALES, Libertad. Differential leukocyte count in cerebrospinal fluid and time of infection progression in children with aseptic meningitis. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2012, vol.84, n.3, pp. 244-255. ISSN 0034-7531.

Objective: to confirm whether polymorphonuclear leukocytes frequently predominate in the cerebrospinal fluid of neonates with aseptic meningitis and whether there is association between this predominance and time of the infection progression. Methods: a retrospective study of newborns with aseptic meningitis, who were admitted to the neonatology service of "Juan M. Marquez" university pediatric hospital from 1992 to 2007. The characteristics of leukocytes were analyzed in the cytochemical test and their association with the time of infection progression. Results: most of the 291 patients had slightly high median values in their leukocyte count. Regarding the percentage of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, the average values were below 40 % for any of the time intervals of the infection progression. The analysis of the infection duration prior to the diagnosis of aseptic meningitis with leukocyte count and with absolute and differential polymophonuclear count in the cerebrospinal fluid showed that there was neither significant statistical association nor linear dependence on the length of time of infection duration. Conclusions: the predominance of polymorphonuclears in the cerebrospinal fluid is not restricted to the first hours of infection and does not depend on the time of infection duration.

Keywords : aseptic meningitis; viral meningitis; newborns; cerebrospinal fluid; neutrophils.

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