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Immunosuppressed people with this condition are more vulnerable to sepsis, endocarditis, meningitis, and thrombophlebitis from the spread of the bacteria into their bloodstream.
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Meningitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. This inflammation causes changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. See also: Aseptic meningitis; Men...
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The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of meningitis and was adapted from materials published by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Meningitis is a serious inflammation of the meninges, the membranes (lining) that surround the brain and spinal cord. It can be of bacterial, viral, or fungal origin.
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Meningitis is the most common serious manifestation of infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Inflammatory involvement of the subarachnoid space with meningeal irritation leads to the classic triad of headache, fever and meningism, and to a pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
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An inflammation of the meninges, most often caused by infection. Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, membranes which encase the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by an infection of bacteria, viru...
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Bacterial meningitis Epidemiology and microbiology: the overall annual incidence of bacterial meningitis is about 2?3/100,000, with peaks of incidence in infants and adolescents. Integration of vaccines into the UK vaccination programme against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and more recently against group C meningococccus has led to a marked decline in cases of Hib and Group C meningococcal meningitis and has significantly reduced the overall incidence of bacterial meningitis.
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Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection (by bacteria, viruses, or fungi), although it can also be caused by ble...
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Although the word meningitis suggests an inflammation of the meninges only, there is always some involvement of the most superficial parts of the brain that are contiguous to the meninges. Often there are also alterations in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
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Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, although it can also be caused by bleed...
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Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord . Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection ( bacteria , viruses , or fungi ), although it can also be caused by b...
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Encephalitis is an acute inflammatory process that affects brain tissue and is almost always accompanied by inflammation of the adjacent meninges (tissues lining the brain). There are many types of encephalitis, most of which are caused by viral i...
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Endocarditis is inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves (endocardium. See also: Culture-negative endocarditis; Infective endocarditis.
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The endocardium is the inner lining of the heart muscle, which also covers the heart valves. When the endocardium becomes damaged, bacteria from the blood stream can become lodged on the heart valves or heart lining. The resulting infection is kno...
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Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, the inner lining of the heart muscle and its four valves (tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, and aortic). Abnormal or damaged endocardium is more likely to become infected when bacteria enter the bloodst...
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Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver.
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Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Infectious or viral hepatitis is caused by a viral infection. The three most common forms of viral hepatitis recognized to cause liver disease are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C (previously called...
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Cellulitis is a common skin infection caused by bacteria. See also: Orbital cellulitis; Periorbital cellulitis.
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Cellulitis is a spreading bacterial infection just below the skin surface. It is most commonly caused by Streptococcus pyogenes or Staphylococcus aureus .
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Pancreatitis is inflammation or infection of the pancreas. The pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach, releases the hormones insulin and glucagon and substances that help with digestion.
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Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas , an organ that is important in digestion. In pancreatitis, normal digestive enzymes act abnormally to break down the pancreas itself.
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Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that is important in digestion. Pancreatitis can be acute, beginning suddenly, usually with the patient recovering fully; or chronic, progressing slowly with permanent injury to the pancreas.
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Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that is important in digestion. Pancreatitis can be acute (beginning suddenly, usually with the patient recovering fully) or chronic (progressing slowly with continued, permanent injury to ...
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Guillain-Barre syndrome is a serious disorder that occurs when the body's defense (immune) system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system. This leads to nerve inflammation that causes muscle weakness.
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Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) causes progressive muscle weakness and paralysis (the complete inability to use a particular muscle or muscle group), which develops over days or up to four weeks, and lasts several weeks or even months.
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Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an inflammation of the covering that surrounds nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. The basis of the inflammation is not conclusively known, but is generally considered to arise from a malfunctioning immune sy...
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Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is a disorder that usually occurs when an infection in the digestive system produces toxic substances that destroy red blood cells. It often affects the kidneys.
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Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is a syndrome defined by the presence of acute hemolytic anemia (low red blood cell count caused by the break up of red cells within the blood stream by a person's own immune system), thrombocytopenia (a low number ...
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Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is a syndrome defined by the presence of acute hemolytic anemia (low red blood cell count caused by the break up of red cells within the blood stream by a person's own immune system), thrombocytopenia (a low number ...
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Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is a rare condition that affects mostly children under the age of 10, but also may affect the elderly as well as persons with other illnesses. HUS, which most commonly develops after a severe bowel infection with ce...
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Interstitial nephritis is a kidney disorder in which the spaces between the kidney tubules become swollen (inflamed. The inflammation can affect the kidneys' function, including their ability to filter waste.
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Cholecystitis refers to a painful inflammation of the gallbladder's wall. The disorder can occur a single time (acute), or can recur multiple times (chronic).
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