Electrodiagnosis of Multiple Cranial Neuropathies and Lumbosacral Polyradiculopathy in Tuberculous Meningitis: A Case Report

Abstract

Cranial neuropathy and radiculopathy are common complications of tuberculous meningitis. However, the co-occurrence of these complications and the corresponding electrodiagnostic findings have rarely been reported. We report a patient diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis who presented with difficulty in smelling, facial paralysis, hearing loss, and severe weakness in the bilateral lower extremities. A neurological examination confirmed impaired function of the olfactory nerves. Electrodiagnostic studies, including a nerve conduction study, electromyography, and brainstem auditory evoked potential, revealed multiple cranial neuropathies involving the left facial nerve and bilateral vestibulocochlear nerves, as well as bilateral lumbosacral polyradiculopathies. In patients with tuberculous meningitis, multiple cranial neuropathies and polyradiculopathies can occur simultaneously as complications, and electrodiagnostic studies can enable an accurate diagnosis of these complications and an assessment of their severity.