Aseptic meningitis triad?

• A. Fever, headache, stiff neck
• B. Fever, rash, arthralgia
• C. Cough, fever, dyspnea
• D. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Answer: (A)

Fever, headache, and neck stiffness are the classic signs of meningitis because inflammation of the meninges irritates pain-sensitive structures and triggers fever, while meningeal irritation leads to rigidity of the neck. In aseptic meningitis, usually viral, the clinical picture mirrors meningitis in general, so the same triad is typical even though cultures are not bacterial. The neck stiffness is a key clue, with possible positive signs like Brudzinski or Kernig on exam.

The other patterns don’t reflect meningeal involvement: fever with rash and arthralgia suggests a systemic or rheumatologic/viral syndrome; cough with fever and dyspnea points to a respiratory infection; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea fit gastroenteritis or enteric illness.