[Retracted] A Diagnostic Scoring System for Distinguishing between Tuberculous and Bacterial Meningitis Based on Clinical and Laboratory Findings

Table 1

Diagnostic criteria about the classification of definite, probable, and possible tuberculous meningitis.

	Score	Definite TBM ()	Probable TBM ()	Possible TBM ()
Clinical criteria of the maximum
Duration of symptom exceeding 5 days	4	138	44	94
Systemic symptoms about tuberculosis (one or more of the following): weight loss (or poor weight gain in children), night sweats, or persistent cough for over 2 weeks	2	32	18	4
Recent (within a past year) close contact history with an individual with pulmonary tuberculosis or positive TST or IGRA (only years old)	2	0	0	0
Focal neurological deficit (excluding cranial nerve palsy)	1	12	4	5
Cranial nerve palsy	1	19	6	4
Disturbance of consciousness	1	66	21	11
CSF criteria with a maximum
Clear appearance	1	120	36	92
Cells: 10–500/μL	1	131	41	88
Lymphocytic predominance (>50%)	1	115	41	74
Protein	1	121	38	47
Ratio between CSF and plasma or an absolute CSF glucose	1	116	39	27
Brain imaging criteria, maximum
Hydrocephalus	1	26	6	3
Basal meningeal enhancement	2	51	19	4
Tuberculoma	2	56	16	4
Infarct	1	26	11	6
Precontrast basal hyperdensity	2	4	0	0
Evidence of other tuberculosis, maximum
Chest radiograph showing active tuberculosis: tuberculosis	2	70	25	6
Chest radiograph for active tuberculosis: miliary tuberculosis	4	23	7	0
CT/MRI/ultrasound results about tuberculosis outside the CNS	2	20	5	2
AFB identified or Mycobacterium tuberculosis from another source(i.e., sputum, lymph node, gastric washing, urine, and blood culture)	4	6	2	0
Commercial positive M. tuberculosis NAAT from extraneural specimen	4	0	0	0

TBM: tuberculous meningitis; TST: tuberculin skin test; IGRA: interferon-gamma release assay; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; CNS: central nervous system; CT: computed tomography; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; AFB: acid-fast bacilli; NAAT: nucleic acid amplification test.