Complementary findings in clinical and epidemiologic features of mumps and mumps meningoencephalitis in children without mumps vaccination.

BACKGROUND

Mumps vaccine has not yet been included in the routine vaccination programme, for this reason mumps is still one of the most common infections for children in Turkey. One of the major complication of mumps is meningoencephalitis, which although usually heals spontaneously, it may cause neurologic complications.

METHODS

This study was undertaken to investigate epidemiologic and demographic characteristics in children with mumps and mumps meningoencephalitis and clinical/laboratory findings in children with mumps meningoencephalitis diagnosed over a 11 year period. A total of 2422 mumps and 135 mumps meningoencephalitis cases were covered in this study which constitutes one of the largest series of mumps meningoencephalitis in the literature. The mean age of mumps and mumps meningoencephalitis cases were 6.6 +/- 2.7 and 7.6 +/- 2.6 years, respectively.

RESULTS

There was a male predominance both among the cases of mumps and mumps meningoencephalitis. The age and seasonal distributions were similar in the mumps and mumps meningoencephalitis groups. The most common symptoms of mumps meningoencephalitis were fever (97%), vomiting (94%) and headache (88.8%). The mean cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total cell count and lymphocyte count were 540 +/- 460/mm(3) and 300 +/- 330/mm(3), respectively. The mean CSF protein and glucose levels were found to be 56.97 +/- 27.94 mg/dL and 53.67 +/- 15.46 mg/dL, respectively. The mean of CSF/blood glucose ratio was 0.53 +/- 0.16. The mean duration of hospitalization in mumps meningoencephalitis cases was found to be 5.1 +/- 2.4 days and this was longer in boys (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with mumps meningoencephalitis, higher CSF protein levels and lower CSF glucose/blood glucose ratio were associated with longer hospitalization periods. There was no death.