Entre 1-janeiro e 30-setembro-1990 foram estudados 77 pacientes com diagnóstico de leptospirose confirmada laboratorialmente. Apresentaram início súbito dos sintomas 69 (89,61%) pacientes, com febre, cefaléia, calafrios e mialgias. Observou-se envolvimento plurissistêmico quer nos pacientes ictéricos, quer nos anictéricos. O exame neurológico foi anormal em 70 (90,91%) pacientes, com achados variáveis e que, embora de caráter transitório, permitiram caracterizar as formas clínicas seguintes: meningoencefalite e polineurite associadas, meningoencefalite, polineurite e hemorragia subaracnóidea.

From January 1st up to September 30th 1990, 77 patients with leptospirosis confirmed by laboratory studies were admitted at the Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Service of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Clinical manifestations had sudden onset with presence of fever, headache, chills and muscle pains. Plurisystemic involvement was observed both in the icteric and in the non-icteric patients. The neurological exam was abnormal in 70 of the patients (90,91%). Neurological findings were essentially variable. Though in a transitory form, they allowed the observation of the following clinical forms: meningoencephalitis and polyneuritis in association, meningoencephalitis, polyneuritis, and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Entre 1-janeiro e 30-setembro-1990 foram estudados 77 pacientes com diagnóstico de leptospirose: 64 (83,11%) eram do sexo masculino e a média de idade, 28 anos. Os sorovars icterohemorrhagiae e canicola foram os mais frequentes. O exame do LCR, realizado em 67 (87,0%) dos pacientes, foi anormal em 64 (95,52%). A reação de microaglutinação para leptospirose com antígenos vivos foi realizada no LCR, bem como reações imunológicas para sífilis, cisticercose e esquistossomose para diagnóstico diferencial. Bastante significativos foram os resultados da reação de microaglutinação para leptospirose no LCR, pela semelhança das respostas àquelas encontradas no sangue quanto à identificação do sorovar.

From January 1st up to September 30th 1990, 77 patients with leptospirosis were admitted at the Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Service of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. The majority (64) were male patients, and average age was 28 years old. Sorovars icterohaemorrhagie and canicola were the most frequent. CSF examination was performed in 67 (87,0%) patients and it was abnormal in 64 (95,52%). Micro-agglutination test for leptospirosis with live antigens was performed in CSF, as well as immunological tests for syphilis, cysticercosis and schistosomiasis for differential diagnosis. Concerning the sorovar identification, results of microagglutination test for leptospirosis in CSF were significant considering the similitude of responses when compared to those found for blood samples.