CNS tuberculosis: a review and illustration from an autopsy case

An estimated one-third of the world’s population (2 billion people) is infected with the tubercle bacilli (TB), which is estimated to cause 6% of all deaths worldwide. Despite there being a decline in the incidence of tuberculosis seen in Europe, there are still some countries in the rest of the world where the estimated number of new cases is very high. When a person presents with persistent fever with or without neurological symptoms, the diagnosis of TB cannot be excluded. We present a case report of a 26-year-old male patient, who died of CNS tuberculosis. Such case studies will help keep neuroscience nurses alert to potential medical issues in multiethnic patient populations.