The treatment of tuberculous meningitis in children with a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin and streptomycin (a preliminary report)

22 cases of tuberculous meningitis have been treated with isoniazid, streptomycin and rifampicin, and 19 cases with isoniazid, P.A.S. and streptomycin. Both groups received corticosteroid at the beginning of the treatment. The 2 groups were compared on the clinical and neurological improvement, duration of necessary hospitalization, the presence of sequelae, and the death rate. Also, the tolerability of both regimens was compared. It seemed that rifampicin shortened the necessary hospital stay. It was also found that sequelae were less in the rifampicin group than in the standard regimen group. There was no obvious difference in the mortality rate of both groups, which might be due to the fact that the cases were of the advanced stage. Anticonvulsants might influence the high incidence of liver dysfunction, as could be seen in the high incidence of jaundice in the rifampicin group. The cases are still being followed up for 13 months or more to obtain a final conclusion.