Meningitis
-inflammation of leptomeninges & underlying subarachnoid CSF
Meningismus
-morbid state characterized by meningitic syndrome (triad: headache, photophobia, nuchal rigidity)
Meningism
-synonymous of meningismus
-neck stiffness w/o meningeal inflammation
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Mechanism
“maneuvers used to elicit meningeal signs produce tension on inflamed and hypersensitive spinal nerve roots, and the resulting signs are postures, protective muscle contractions, or other movements that minimize the stretch and distortion of the meninges and roots”
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Diagnostic value
a. Kernig's sign (Thomas et al 2002)
SN 5% SP 95% PPV 27% NPV 72%
b. absence of fever, neck stiffness, and altered mental status (DeJong)
exclude meningitis (SN 99%)
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Maneuvers used to elicit meningeal signs
a. Nuchal (cervical) rigidity
b. Kernig's sign
c. Brudzinski's neck sign
d. Brudzinski's contralateral reflex sign
e. Tripod or Amoss's or Hoyne's sign
f. Others
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Nuchal rigidity
a. relax neck muscles by supine patient to edge of bed& allow head to hang outside bed
b. place your hand under patient's head & try to flex neck, touch chin to chest
c. resistance implies diffuse irritation of cervical nerve roots from meningeal
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Nuchal rigidity
via: Endeavour For Child Health
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Kernig's sign
a. flex hip&knee on 1-side while patient is supine
b. now, extend knee w/ hip still flexed
c. +, if hamstring spasm results in pain in post thigh & difficulty w/ knee extension
d. severe inflammation of meninges, the opposite knee may also flex
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Kernig's sign
via: Neuron Bundle
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Kernig's sign
via: Dr. Akash Gangane
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Kernig's sign
via: Dr Aishwarya Kelkar Medical Lectures
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Brudzinski's neck sign
a.supine patient, place one of your hand behind his head & other on his/her chest
b. now, flex patient’s head with hand behind head, while your hand on chest restrains patient and prevents him/her from rising
c.+, if the patient flexes hips and knees.
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Brudzinski's neck sign
via: Dr. Akash Gangane
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Brudzinski's neck sign
via: Dr. Akash Gangane
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Brudzinski's neck sign
via: MBBS VPASS
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Brudzinski's contralateral reflex
a.2 parts: identical&reciprocal contralateral reflex
b.identical: contralateral leg bends w/ passive flexion of patient's hip&knee on 1-side
c.reciprocal: +, when contralateral leg that has flexed reflexly begins to extend (little kick)
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Brudzinski's contralateral reflex sign
via: Endeavour For Child Health
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Tripod, Amoss, Hoyne sign
Patient is asked to sit up in bed. Health, sits up w/o supporting himself
Meningeal irritation: patient tries to sit up by supporting himself w/ his hands placed far behind him in bed, to take the weight off the spine and prevent its flexion.
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Bikele sign
Positive, in meningeal inflammation and in brachial plexitis
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Josef Brudzinski discoveries
Polish pediatrician Josef Brudzinski who had described four different maneuvers for the diagnosis of meningitis in the early-20th century
“rhythmic vertical laryngeal cage movements of varying frequency with synchronous movements of the tongue, posterior pharynx, and the palatopharyngeal arch”
- not affecting uvula
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Pathophysiology
Variant of palatal tremor
- oscillatory firing of neurons in the inferior olives