Factores pronósticos para secuelas y mortalidad de la tuberculosis meníngea en ni？os: prognostic features for sequelae and mortality

the tuberculous meningitis (tbm) is the most common manifestation of extra-pulmonary disease by mycobacte-rium tuberculosis and it is a serious public health problem in developing countries. the risk of progression from primary tuberculosis through tuberculous meningitis is higher in children than adults, mainly in children under 5 years old. this disease represents 20 - 40% of all types of tuberculosis in children, compared with 2.9 - 5.9% in adults. mortality and neurological sequelae associated with tbm are very frecuent although antituberculous therapy. the available literature on prognostic factors in developing countries is limited.the main risk factors described for poor prognosis, including mortality, are stage iii disease, deep coma and age less than 2 years, other factors reported, although not consistently in most of the series, are proteins in cerebrospinal fluid greater than 100 mg / dl, hypertonia, the late management of hydrocephalus, the presence of stroke, or focal deficit on admission, cranial nerve palsy and seizures. in the published series of tbm in children, mortality ranges between 7.5% and 22%. colombia has reported a mortality of 17%.