The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis in pediatric enteroviral meningitis. A retrospective analysis of the medical records was performed in 281 patients under 18 years of age who were diagnosed with enteroviral meningitis by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at Kwangju Christian Hospital from January to December 2016. Clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were compared according to the presence or absence of CSF pleocytosis. 112 children (39.9%) did not have CSF pleocytosis. When we compared the group of meningitis without pleocytosis and the group with pleocytosis, age were younger (< 2years), and the interval between onset of symptoms and the time of lumbar puncture was shorter (<24 hours), peripheral white blood cell counts were lower, but C-reactive protein (CRP) was higher in the group of meningitis without pleocytosis. Enteroviral meningitis should not be excluded even if CSF pleocytosis is not seen in patients. And enterovirus CSF RT-PCR should be performed with high suspicion in children younger than 2 years.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) causes headache in the absence of tissue injury such as trauma, spinal cord injury, surgery, or epidural anesthesia. Epidural blood patch in the epidural space where CSF leakage occurs is effective for treatment of SIH. However, when the leakage site is unknown, administration of autologous blood into the lumbar epidural space could be effective. Here we report on patients who suffered from headache by SIH and could not confirm the leakage site, however, treatment by lumbar epidural blood patch was administered successfully.