Cerebral arachnoiditis of the brain: symptoms, treatment, consequences

There are many diseases that can lead to disability or death. One of them is cerebral arachnoiditis. With this ailment, sick people need immediate and effective treatment. With timely therapy, the prognosis for life is favorable. How can you identify cerebral arachnoiditis? How is he treated? Before answering these questions, it is worthwhile to understand what an arachnoiditis is, how it is classified.

What is arachnoiditis?

The human brain and spinal cord is covered with three medullary membranes: firm, arachnoid (arachnoid) and soft. Inflammation of the arachnoid membrane is a disease called arachnoiditis. In 60% of cases, the disease provokes infectious and infectious-allergic diseases. In 30% of cases, arachnoiditis occurs because of a previously traumatic brain injury. The remaining people who are diagnosed with the disease can not establish an etiology.

The term "arachnoidite" has not found application in practice. Experts explain this by the fact that there is no isolated damage to the arachnoid, because it lacks its own vascular system. The signs of arachnoiditis in modern medicine are classified as serous meningitis.

Classification of the disease

Depending on the localization of the pathological process, several types of disease are distinguished. One of them is a spinal arachnoiditis. In this disease, inflammation occurs in the meninges that surround the spinal cord. Another species is cerebral arachnoiditis. When it affects the shell only the brain. Cerebrospinal arachnoiditis is characterized by a combination of the two abovementioned types of disease.

There is one more classification. According to her, there are the following types of ailment, this is arachnoiditis:

• Posterior cranial fossa;
• The base of the brain (basal);
• Convex surface of the cerebral hemispheres (convectional);
• In the area of the cross of the optic nerves (optico-chiasmatic);
• Cerebellar angle.

Depending on the morphological changes, the following are distinguished:

• Adhesive;
• Adhesive-cystic;
• Cerebral cystic arachnoiditis.

Causes of cerebral arachnoiditis

This disease can occur as a complication in various infectious diseases, develop due to inflammatory processes that occur in the middle ear, paranasal sinuses. Thus, causative factors include rheumatism, influenza, chronic tonsillitis, otitis, rhinosinusitis, measles, scarlet fever, etc.

The cause of the disease is sometimes a craniocerebral injury. It is posttraumatic cerebral arachnoiditis. Some experts believe that the disease can occur after birth trauma and make itself felt in the mature years after trauma or infection.

General cerebral symptoms

Cerebral arachnoiditis is characterized by certain clinical manifestations. First of all, the disease makes itself felt by general cerebral symptoms. Often there is a headache. She is the strongest in the morning. In some people, it is accompanied by nausea, vomiting.

Headache can increase with tension, straining, awkward movements. In addition, people with cerebral arachnoiditis are dizzy. Patients deteriorate memory, irritability appears, fatigue occurs quickly, sleep is disturbed, general weakness is observed.

Symptoms that reflect the localization of the pathological process

Brain cerebral signs are not the only "cerebral arachnoiditis" in the disease. Symptoms may also arise additional, which reflect the localization of the shell process:

1. When arachnoiditis posterior cranial fossa observed ataxia. This is a violation of the coordination of muscle movements in the absence of muscle weakness. Also there is nystagmus. This term denotes spontaneous movements of the eyeballs.
2. The basal kind of the disease is distinguished by a violation of the functions of those nerves that are located on the base of the skull.
3. With convective arachnoiditis, general and Jackson epileptic seizures can be observed.
4. The optic-chiasmal type of the disease is characterized by deterioration of vision. Sick people mark the "grid before the eyes." In severe illness, blindness occurs. Sometimes hypothalamic disorders (eg, increased urination, thirst) are manifested.
5. When arachnoiditis cerebellar angle of people excruciates headache, localized in the occipital region, noise in the ears. In patients, paroxysmal dizziness is observed.

Diagnosis of cerebral arachnoiditis

Diagnosis is made by specialists in view of the clinical manifestations of the disease and the results of the neurological examination. It includes the study of visual acuity, fields of vision and the fundus. Craniography is also performed. This is the radiography of the skull without contrast. When cerebral arachnoiditis on the survey craniograms, indirect signs of intracranial hypertension can be revealed.

An electroencephalogram of the brain is also being performed. The main role in diagnosis is played by the pneumoencephalogram. The study makes it possible to detect uneven air filling of the subarachnoid space, expansion of the ventricles of the brain, focal air accumulations. For obtaining additional information and excluding other diseases, sick people are assigned:

• CT scan;
• angiography;
• Magnetic resonance imaging;
• Scintigraphy;
• Other diagnostic methods.

Elimination of the disease

Disease cerebral arachnoiditis should be treated long, courses. To eliminate the source of infection, doctors prescribe antibiotics to their patients. The following tools are also used:

• Anti-inflammatory;
• Absorbable;
• Hyposensitizing;
• Dehydration, etc.

With increased intracranial pressure, diuretics (for example, Furosemide, Mannitol) and decongestants are needed. If patients have cramps, doctors prescribe antiepileptic drugs. If necessary, symptomatic medicines are used.

Surgery

The use of medications does not always help to eliminate such a disease as cerebral arachnoiditis. Treatment in some cases is prescribed surgical. Indications for surgical intervention are:

• No improvement after the drug therapy;
• Increased intracranial hypertension;
• Increased focal symptomatology;
• The presence of optic-chiasmal arachnoiditis, which is characterized by a steady deterioration in vision.

For example, a neurosurgical operation can be performed with the development of an adhesive process with the formation of adhesions or a cystic process with a disease such as cerebral arachnoiditis of the brain. Treatment of this kind will get rid of obstacles that disrupt the normal circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid.

Prognosis and ability to work with cerebral arachnoiditis

Usually the life of the patient is not threatened if the treatment is started in a timely manner. A good prognosis is given with the convectional form of the disease. It is worse with optic-chiasmatic inflammation. Arachnoiditis of the posterior cranial fossa with occlusive hydrocephalus is a particular danger in itself. It should be noted that the prognosis can significantly worsen the existing diseases, the resulting injuries.

People due to ailment can be recognized as invalids of the III group, if light work reduces the volume of their production activities. With a severe impairment of vision, frequent convulsive seizures, II group disability is established. Persons with disabilities I group become due to vision loss caused by optic-chiasmal arachnoiditis.

The reasons for the limitation of life

It was said above that cerebral arachnoiditis can lead to disability. Thus, the disease provokes a restriction of vital activity, that is, patients completely or partially lose the opportunity or ability to carry out the basic components of daily life. This happens for the following reasons:

1. Convulsive seizures. Sick people periodically lose control over their behavior. In this regard, limited life activity and impaired ability to work.
2. Deterioration of visual functions. In people suffering from cerebral arachnoiditis, acuity decreases and the field of vision narrows. They can not work with small details, perform their professional duties, requiring eye strain. Some people constantly need help from surrounding people because of blindness.
3. Disorders of liquorodynamics in case of cerebral arachnoiditis. Consequences - the manifestation of hypertensive syndrome with repeated crises. Crises are accompanied by dizziness, an attitude disorder.
4. Neurasthenia and concomitant vegetative dystonia. People have reduced endurance to climatic factors, the ability to prolong physical and mental stress is lost. Patients react negatively to loud sounds, too bright light.

Prevention of disease

Cerebral arachnoiditis can be avoided. So, in order not to face this disease, it is necessary to pay attention to its prevention. It consists in the timely treatment of those ailments that can provoke arachnoiditis. For example, if you have the first signs of sinusitis, otitis should immediately consult a doctor. The specialist will prescribe effective therapy in a timely manner. Adequate treatment is necessary and with a craniocerebral trauma.

In conclusion, it should be noted that cerebral arachnoiditis of the brain is a disease that is not so easy to diagnose. When suspicious symptoms are assigned to various studies. Differential diagnostics is also carried out, as many diseases have a similar clinical picture (for example, brain tumors, normotensive hydrocephalus, neurosarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis, idiopathic epilepsy).