Aseptic meningitis is a term used to define inflammation of the brain linings, called meninges, due to various etiologies with negative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bacterial cultures. Many studies and books determine it by showing CSF pleocytosis of more than five cells/mm3. It is one of the most common, usually benign, inflammatory disorders of the meninges.
Viruses are the most common etiology for aseptic meningitis, but other causes can be divided into two main categories: infectious and non-infectious. This fact leads us to state that aseptic meningitis and viral meningitis are not interchangeable terms. Manifestations may differ based on the underlying cause and the host's immune status, placing patients with deficient humoral immunity at a higher risk of negative outcomes, including neonates and patients with agammaglobulinemia.
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