The use of the bromine partition test in the diagnosis and prognosis of tuberculous meningitis

Abstract

The bromine partition test was successfully used to differentiate cases of proven tuberculous meningitis from patients with aseptic and non-tuberculous meningitis. Forty patients, 22 males and 18 females aged 5 to 30 years (mean 13.5 +/- 6.2), were included in the study. Nineteen patients were confirmed to have tuberculous meningitis, 12 had aseptic meningitis, and 9 bacterial meningitis. All patients received 0.6 mci/kg of bromine 82 administered through a nasogastric tube as ammonium bromide dissolved in 5 ml of isotonic sodium chloride. The serum to CSF bromine ratio was then calculated 48 hours after the dose. The test was then repeated 8 days later in patients with bacterial meningitis and 8, 90, and 180 day later in patients with tuberculous meningitis. The test was very useful in quickly differentiating cases of aseptic from bacterial and tuberculous meningitis and was also a useful prognosticator in patients with severe tuberculous meningitis.