Mollaret's meningitis

Mollaret's meningitis
Other names	Benign recurrent lymphocytic meningitis
Meninges of the central nervous system: dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater.
Specialty	Neurology

Mollaret's meningitis is a recurrent or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. Since Mollaret's meningitis is a recurrent, benign (non-cancerous), aseptic meningitis, it is also referred to as benign recurrent lymphocytic meningitis.^[1][2] It was named for Pierre Mollaret, the French neurologist who first described it in 1944.^[3][4]

Although chronic meningitis has been defined as "irritation and inflammation of the meninges persisting for more than 4 weeks being associated with pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid",^[2] cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities may not be detectable for the entire time.^[5] Diagnosis can be elusive, as Helbok et al. note: "in reality, many more weeks, even months pass by until the diagnosis is established. In many cases the signs and symptoms of chronic meningitis not only persist for periods longer than 4 weeks, they even progress with continuing deterioration, i. e. headache, neck stiffness and even low grade fever. Impairment of consciousness, epileptic seizures, neurological signs and symptoms may evolve over time."^[2]