[Characteristics of the mycobacteria in children with tuberculous meningitis].

The article deals with the characterization of Myco. population and its qualitative changes in the course of treatment of 128 children with tuberculous meningitis. An extensive microbiological examination of the cerebrospinal fluid of all the patients was undertaken to detect the presence of bacterial and L-forms of M. tuberculosis. A target-oriented search for the altered forms (L-forms) of M. tuberculosis provided an increase of the proportion of smear-positive cases of tuberculous meningitis of specific etiology. During chemotherapy a quick disappearance of the bacterial forms and more persistent presence of the altered forms of the agent in the cerebrospinal fluid are observed. The latter might be important from the clinical point of view, thus indicating the possibility of a chronic development and the danger of relapses.