Review of Related Diseases (RRD) 10 – Disorders of the Neurological System Practice Test

Opening pressure in viral meningitis tends to be normal or only mildly elevated because the inflammatory response from viruses is less intense than in bacterial meningitis, so there isn’t the rapid buildup and obstruction of CSF that drives a big pressure rise. In practice, CSF opening pressure is often within the normal range or just slightly above, while the fluid itself shows a lymphocytic predominance with normal glucose and only mildly elevated protein. If opening pressure were markedly high, that would point more toward bacterial meningitis or other causes of severe intracranial pressure, rather than a typical viral process.