A form of bacterial meningitis caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis or rarely mycobacterium bovis. the organism seeds the meninges and forms microtuberculomas which subsequently rupture. the clinical course tends to be subacute, with progressions occurring over a period of several days or longer. headache and meningeal irritation may be followed by seizures, cranial neuropathies, focal neurologic deficits, somnolence, and eventually coma. the illness may occur in immunocompetent individuals or as an opportunistic infection in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and other immunodeficiency syndromes. (from adams et al., principles of neurology, 6th ed, pp717-9)