INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF
CancerGenetics
The utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios in the early detection of postsurgical bacterial meningitis: A retrospective analysis
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Mohammad bahloli,1 Namamali Azadi,2 Niloufar Rashidi,3,*
1. Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2. Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Introduction: Postsurgical bacterial meningitis is a severe complication with high mortality. Timely diagnosis is crucial, but current methods like CSF analysis have limitations. This study investigated the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) as a rapid, cost-effective biomarker for differentiating bacterial from nonbacterial postsurgical meningitis after surgery.
- Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 292 patients who underwent neurosurgical or spinal surgery between January 2014 and February 2025. NLRs, obtained from complete blood counts at initial presentation, were compared between patients with bacterial (n=238) and nonbacterial (n=62) meningitis, and the results were correlated with CSF analysis and clinical outcomes.
- Results: Compared with nonbacterial patients, bacterial meningitis patients presented significantly greater NLR values (mean 11.32 compare to 7). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most prevalent pathogen. Mortality was significantly associated with bacterial meningitis, and deceased patients had elevated NLRs. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was not significantly different.
- Conclusion: The NLR has potential as a rapid and accessible biomarker for differentiating bacterial meningitis from nonbacterial meningitis after surgery, potentially improving timely intervention. An elevated NLR was associated with increased mortality. However, limitations, including its retrospective design and lack of multifactorial analysis, necessitate further prospective validation to confirm its clinical utility.
- Keywords: bacterial meningitis, nonbacterial meningitis, complete blood count, neutrophil to lymphocyte, plate
