Which type of meningitis is likely if a patient shows elevated WBCs in CSF analysis?

When evaluating a patient with elevated white blood cells (WBCs) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, it is important to understand that an increase in WBCs can be indicative of multiple types of meningitis—viral, bacterial, and fungal.

In viral meningitis, an increase in lymphocytes is typically observed, and it is often associated with a less severe clinical presentation than bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis also shows elevated WBCs but usually demonstrates a predominance of neutrophils, and it often presents with more severe symptoms and a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Fungal meningitis, while less common, can also result in increased WBCs, predominantly lymphocytes, particularly in immunocompromised patients.

Thus, the elevation of WBCs in the CSF is a common feature across all these types of meningitis, making the answer that all of them can present with this finding appropriate. Each type of meningitis has distinct characteristics, but the shared feature of elevated WBC count justifies the inclusion of all options as potential correct answers.