What are the symptoms of meningeal syndrome?

1 Kernig Symptom

Kernig Symptom is typical not only for children and patients who develop meningitis, but also for people with knee joint problems. Meningeal syndrome Kernig allows you to establish an accurate diagnosis in children and adults. The essence of this syndrome is that when flexing and unbending the knee, the hip joint( with the help of a doctor) there is no complete straightening of the leg. This meningeal syndrome is investigated in 2 stages.

First, the doctor flexes the leg of the patient lying on the abdomen, and then relieves pressure and releases the leg, which begins to passively develop.

In healthy children and adults, this syndrome is not manifested, and the leg calmly returns to its original position. The Kernig syndrome allows not only to diagnose the presence of meningitis, but also to establish the extent to which the brain is affected by the infection. In addition, it is possible to determine the prognosis of pathological changes in the nervous tissue, and in what dynamics the disease develops.

2 Other variants of

The meningeal syndrome of the Strympel manifests itself slowly progressive lower spastic paraplegia. The function of the hands is preserved. Cranial innervation remains. In the later stages, incontinence may occur. Sometimes a reduction in pain. The symptom is checked by pressing the knee joint. Inflammation of the meninges is diagnosed if the fingers are opened by a fan when pressed, and also in the spontaneous extension of the big toe. When the form of the pathology is complex, then the hearing loss, cerebellar ataxia, ichthyosis, etc. can enter the symptoms.

Guinea meningeal syndrome in children and adults is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. Catarrh of the respiratory tract.
2. General weakness, fatigue, malaise.
3. Increases body temperature to limit values.
4. Failure in the functioning of the digestive tract.

Guinea meningeal syndrome in children and adults at the initial stage manifests a general weakness in the muscles of the limbs, which indicates the destruction of nerve cells. Late stages of development of pathology are associated with a loss of sensitivity in the limbs. Another meningeal symptom is called Mendel's symptom. The characteristic features of the development of the pathological condition are that children or an adult patient develop dull pain in the appendix. Nausea and vomiting may develop. A white coating may appear on the tongue. The next meningeal symptom is the Flautau symptom. There is a symptom in the expansion of the patient's pupils, when the patient passively or intensively bends his head.

3 Symptoms of Brudzinsky: upper, middle, lower, buccal

Checking meningeal symptoms is very important. The symptomatology of Brudzinsky checks not only the target organ, but also all systems, because as usual defeat affects the membranes of the brain and the whole organism as a whole. The signs of Brudzinsky are checked as follows:

1. Upper sign. The patient should lie on his back and try to get his chin to his chest. If the inflammation of the membranes is present, then the leg in the knee and hip joint will involuntarily bend.
2. Medium characteristic. The patient is slightly pressed on the pubis. Inflammation is present if it pulls the legs to the stomach.
3. The lower sign is checked as a Kernig symptom.
4. Genetic feature. The patient is pressed into the area under the cheekbone, and if the inflammation of the brain shells is present, the hand that has fallen ill or the hand will lift will rise.

In practice, these signs were introduced by the Polish doctor Josef Brudzinsky. Since the beginning of the 20th century, they are standard in diagnosing meningitis in children and adults.

4 Rigidity of the neck muscles and posture of the recumbent dog

Another meningeal syndrome that allows to diagnose meningitis is the rigidity of the occipital muscles. You can check it by bending the patient's head from a lying position. The doctor tries to pull the patient's head to the chest, but if there is stiffness( high muscle tone), then it will not work. During checkup, lifting of the body can be seen. Rigidity of the occipital muscles is of great importance in the diagnosis of cerebral hemorrhage and meningitis.

The next symptom is the posture of a recumbent dog. With severe lesions of the nervous system, the work of the whole organism is disrupted.

With meningeal syndrome, muscle tone increases, and the patient acquires the posture of a recumbent dog, or else the pose of a cocked cock. This position shows that meningitis is extremely difficult. The symptom is unfavorable.

5 Opistotonus, triasm of the masticatory muscles

The opisthotonus is a posture characterized by a head thrown back, a deflection in the vertebral column and a lower limb bend. A person takes such a pose with inflammation of the membranes of the brain, meningitis, tumors, tetanus or hemorrhagic stroke. Rarely such a position a person takes when he has a hysterical fit. In children, opisthotonus is manifested with purulent meningitis or tetanus, indicating a brain damage. Another symptom of inflammation of the membranes of the brain is the trisus of the masticatory muscles. It manifests itself as a spasm of these muscles, an inability to freely move the jaw. The symptom of the pot is usually manifested in children who are sick with bacterial meningitis. When the baby sits on the pot, he quickly tries to lean on the floor behind his back.

He does this in order to avoid stretching the muscles in the back of the head. The symptom of Levinson is very important in the diagnosis of viral, bacterial and tuberculous meningitis. The symptom is very simple to check. The patient involuntarily opens his mouth when trying to pull his head towards the chest. This feature is not specific and is used in complex cases. In case of serous, tuberculous, viral meningitis, Bikkel's symptom is manifested. Development of it occurs when there is a serious inflammation of the meninges. Sometimes Bikkel's symptom is manifested in cerebral hemorrhage. The sign is expressed constantly with the arms bent at the elbows. Also, the patient constantly wants to keep the blanket pulled from him. This condition remains the same, even if the patient is in a febrile state.

Thanks to all the above symptoms, it is possible to diagnose in a timely manner life-threatening pathologies and prescribe treatment. After all, the treatment started in time gives a happy outcome of 80%.