In meningitis, most of the damage derives from the immune
response elicited by the presence of bacterial pathogens in the
CNS.66 This leads to a very relevant inflammatory process with
significant infiltrative, proliferative and necrotizing vessel pathologies.67
Anti-tuberculous chemotherapy and the administration of
thalidomide and salicylates appear to be relatively ineffective in
preventing vascular complications that remain the major unresolved
problem related to TBM. Corticosteroids have been used in
TBM for over 50 years, although the real importance of these drugs
in this disease is not completely defined. A meta-analysis recently
carried out that comprised 7 randomized controlled trials involving
a total number of 1140 participants, both children and adults, has
demonstrated that in HIV-negative subjects prednisolone or
dexamethasone significantly reduced the risk of death (relative risk
[RR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67e0.91) or disabling
residual neurological deficit (RR 0.82; 95% CI, 0.70e0.97) with mild
and treatable adverse events.68 On the contrary, no effect was
reported in HIV-infected patients. The positive effect on HIVnegative
subjects was found independently from the severity of
the disease, thus suggesting that this therapy should be added to
anti-infective therapy in all children with TBM.69,70The best steroid and the most effective scheme of administration
are not known because no data comparing different regimens
are available at the moment. Moreover data collected in children
are few. According to the suggestions of some American and
European Scientific Societies,45,46 it could be suggested the use of
oral compounds for 3 or 4 weeks with subsequent reduction in few
days.