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Definition
Aetiology
Signs
Symptoms
Pathophysiology
100

What is meningitis?

  • A) Inflammation of the lung tissue
  • B) Inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord
  • C) Infection of the bone marrow
  • D) Infection of the blood vessels in the brain

Inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord

100

Which type of meningitis is generally self-limiting and less severe than bacterial meningitis?

  • A) Fungal meningitis
  • B) Bacterial meningitis
  • C) Viral meningitis
  • D) Parasitic meningitis
  • C) Viral meningitis
100

Which of the following is a hallmark physical sign of meningitis?

  • A) Abdominal tenderness
  • B) Jaundice
  • C) Neck stiffness
  • D) Haematuria
  • C) Neck stiffness
100

Vomiting in meningitis is usually due to:

  • A) Increased cranial pressure
  • B) Gastroenteritis
  • C) Dehydration
  • D) Respiratory infection
  • A) Increased cranial pressure
100

Why is decreased cerebral blood flow a serious consequence in meningitis?

  • A) It increases cerebrospinal fluid production
  • B) It leads to ischemia and potential brain damage
  • C) It decreases infection spread
  • D) It enhances immune cell entry into CSF
  • B) It leads to ischemia and potential brain damage
200

Which structures are primarily affected in meningitis?

  • A) Meninges
  • B) Cerebellum
  • C) Peripheral nerves
  • D) Blood vessels only
  • A) Meninges
200

In neonates, which bacterial pathogen is a common cause of meningitis?

  • A) Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • B) Neisseria meningitidis
  • C) Listeria monocytogenes
  • D) Escherichia coli
  • D) Escherichia coli
200

Which clinical sign might specifically indicate Neisseria meningitidis meningitis?

  • A) Petechial rash
  • B) Flushing
  • C) Tachycardia
  • D) Cyanosis

A) Petechial rash

200

Which of the following symptoms is NOT typically associated with meningitis?

  • A) Headache
  • B) Abdominal pain
  • C) Fever
  • D) Neck stiffness
  • B) Abdominal pain
200

Vasogenic oedema in meningitis results from:

  • A) Direct injury to the brain
  • B) Increased blood-brain barrier permeability
  • C) Reduced blood volume
  • D) Increased CSF production
  • B) Increased blood-brain barrier permeability
300

Which of the following best describes meningitis?

  • A) Infection localized to the brain only
  • B) Inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord
  • C) Disease limited to the bloodstream
  • D) Inflammation of the brain’s ventricles
  • B) Inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord
300

Which of the following is the most common bacterial cause of meningitis in adults?

  • A) Neisseria meningitidis
  • B) Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • C) Listeria monocytogenes
  • D) Escherichia coli

  • B) Streptococcus pneumoniae
300

A bulging fontanelle may be seen in:

  • A) Infants with meningitis
  • B) Adults with viral meningitis
  • C) Children with gastroenteritis
  • D) Patients with stroke

Infants with meningitis

300

Which of the following is a common symptom of viral meningitis?

  • A) Chronic cough
  • B) Jaundice
  • C) Mild headache
  • D) Severe abdominal pain
  • C) Mild headache
300

Which process allows pathogens to reach the meninges in meningitis?

  • A) Direct spread through lymphatics
  • B) Hematogenous spread through the bloodstream
  • C) Transdermal absorption
  • D) Infection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bypassing blood-brain barrier
  • B) Hematogenous spread through the bloodstream
400

What term describes inflammation of the meninges without infection?

  • A) Aseptic meningitis
  • B) Septic meningitis
  • C) Viral meningitis
  • D) Encephalitis
  • A) Aseptic meningitis
400

Meningococcal meningitis is caused by which pathogen?

  • A) Escherichia coli
  • B) Neisseria meningitidis
  • C) Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • D) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • B) Neisseria meningitidis
  • Most common bacterial cause in 11-17 year olds
400

Kernig’s sign, commonly seen in meningitis, involves pain with:

  • A) Lifting the leg while the knee is straightened
  • B) Rotating the shoulder
  • C) Turning the head side-to-side
  • D) Pressure applied to the chest
  • A) Lifting the leg while the knee is straightened
400

In cases of bacterial meningitis, which symptom can often indicate a more severe infection?

  • A) Mild fatigue
  • B) Altered mental status
  • C) Nausea without vomiting
  • D) Slight headache
  • B) Altered mental status
400

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in meningitis is primarily due to:

  • A) Vasoconstriction of brain blood vessels
  • B) Cytokine-induced vasodilation and oedema
  • C) Destruction of neurons
  • D) Increased neurotransmitter release
  • B) Cytokine-induced vasodilation and oedema
500

Which of the following is not a meningitis-related structure?

  • A) Pia mater
  • B) Dura mater
  • C) Arachnoid mater
  • D) Ventricles
  • D) Ventricles
500

Which virus commonly causes viral meningitis?

  • A) Hepatitis B virus
  • B) Enteroviruses
  • C) Epstein-Barr virus
  • D) Influenza virus
  • B) Enteroviruses
500

A patient with suspected meningitis has a positive Brudzinski sign. This indicates:

  • A) Pain upon neck extension
  • B) Pain upon knee flexion
  • C) Flexion of the hips when the neck is flexed
  • D) Pain upon pressing on the abdomen
  • C) Flexion of the hips when the neck is flexed
500

Which symptom in children may suggest meningitis, even in the absence of other classic signs?

  • A) High-pitched cry
  • B) Runny nose
  • C) Coughing
  • D) Muscle stiffness
  • A) High-pitched cry
500

The initial immune response in bacterial meningitis includes the release of which cytokine?

  • A) IL-1
  • B) IL-10
  • C) TNF-beta
  • D) G-CSF
  • A) IL-1
  • The initial immune response in bacterial meningitis includes the release of proinflammatory cytokines such as: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin 1 (IL-1)β, IL-6, and IL-8. 
  • These cytokines are released by host cells after bacteria enter the brain and activate them