[Hypouricemia in patients with meningitis].

Serum urate and sodium concentrations were measured in 23 patients with acute viral and bacterial meningitis. Serum urate level was 3.0 +/- 0.2 mg/dl (mean +/- S.D.) (3.6 +/- 1.2 mg/dl in male and 2.5 +/- 0.9 mg /dl in female) on admission, but gradually elevated with improvements of meningitis. It turned to 4.8 +/- 0.2 mg/dl after recovery, and the value on admission was significantly lower than that after recovery (p < 0.0001). Serum sodium level was 137.6 +/- 2.9 mEq/l on admission and 139.7 +/- 2.7 mEq/l after recovery; also lower in the former (p < 0.01). These results show that patients develop transient hypouricemia, which may be explained by SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate secretion of ADH), although SIADH is subclinical in most cases of meningitis.