Characteristics of meningococcal disease

The two major clinical forms of meningococcal disease are meningitis and septicaemia. Most patients will have a mixed presentation. A minority will have pure septicaemia and it is these patients who carry the worst prognosis and maximum effort must be made to identify them early¹². There are important differences in the pathophysiology of meningitis and septicaemia which underlie the clinical presentation and management of the two main forms of the condition (see pathophysiology).

Disease pathway