Episode 973: Meningitis Retention Syndrome

Contributor: Travis Barlock MD

Educational Pearls:

Meningitis retention syndrome is a relatively novel and rare clinical condition Aseptic meningitis + acute urinary retention One study reports an incidence of about 8% in patients with acute aseptic meningitis Clinical presentation Typical meningeal symptoms including fever, stiff neck, and headache Urinary retention occurs about one week after initial symptoms Potential pathophysiology Immune-mediated dysfunction of the central nervous system Detrusor muscle underactivity from inflammation of the spinal cord Management Supportive care Bladder decompression

References

Hiraga A, Kuwabara S. Meningitis-retention syndrome: Clinical features, frequency and prognosis. J Neurol Sci. 2018;390:261-264...