Study on the significance of MRI and cerebrospinal fluid cytology in the diagnosis of viral encephalitis (meningitis)

Objective To explore the significance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebrospinal fluid cytology in the diagnosis and treatment of viral encephalitis (meningitis). Methods The head MRI and cerebrospinal fluid data of 189 patients with viral encephalitis (meningitis) were reviewed, and early changes of cerebrospinal fluid cyotology of patients with normal or abnormal MRI findings were analysed retrospectively. Results Among 189 viral encephalitis (meningitis) patients, 96 (50.79%) patients presented abnormal MRI, and 129 (68.25%) patients presented abnormal cerebrospinal fluid cytological findings. In patients with abnormal MRI the abnormality rate of cerebrospinal fluid cytological findings was 72.92% (70/96), while in patients with normal MRI it was 63.44% (59/93), the difference was significant (P = 0.000). Conclusion In the early stage of viral encephalitis (meningitis) MRI changes appear later than abnormal cerebrospinal fluid cytological findings, but both of them are important for clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.