Posted by DocGreg (24.131.169.145) on August 02, 1999 at 20:08:18:
In Reply to: FAMILY I need your help and advise now!!!!!!! posted by Bernadette on August 02, 1999 at 10:50:02:
Any doctor worth spit can recognize bacterial menigitis from a spinal tap. If he/she is not concerned...you really shouldn't be either (easy for me to say, I know).
There are 2 types of meningitis (as posted before) viral and bacterial. And the posts are correct, there is no required treatment for most types of viral (exeptions are there, of course). But, people are usually quite sick when they have bacterial meningitis...or severe viral. Lethargy, fatigue, headache, neck stiffness, avoidance of light, trouble concentrating, etc.
I do not know about your abnormal MRI (sorry)...feel free to email me with what is going on...be glad to help.
Contacting your GP is a good idea...hopefully he/she can get the same results and tell you what is going on. Most likely, they simply do not know exactly what is causing the elevation of the white count. There are other possibilities...and most would not put you in the hospital.
So, give a call. But if they aren't worried about putting you in the hospital...the tap is most likely not suggestive of bacterial meningitis (other things, such as the glucose, protein, and white cell total are indications).
Good luck
G