Early diagnosis and treatment of meningitis can help prevent complications. Normally, meningitis can be diagnosed with a review of your history and a physical examination. But, often, confirmation of meningitis and identification of the infectious organism is necessary for optimal treatment.

Physical examination: Your doctor will test for neck and back stiffness. Pain with the extension of your knee with a flexed hip (Kernig's sign) is considered supportive of the diagnosis of meningitis. Likewise, if passively or actively moving the head down toward your chest causes pain and makes your hips and knees flex (Brudzinski's sign), your doctor will suspect meningitis.

Imaging tests: Imaging tests of the central nervous system, such as a brain CT, brain MRI, or spine MRI may be particularly useful in the evaluation of meningitis. These tests can rule out other causes of neurological symptoms. They can often identify inflammation of the meninges. A brain CT or brain MRI is often needed to determine whether it is safe to do a lumbar puncture.

Lumbar puncture: A lumbar puncture is a procedure in which a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is removed so that it can be analyzed under the microscope and sent for a culture. The cerebrospinal spinal fluid is obtained by inserting a needle into an area in the lower back where fluid in the spinal canal is readily accessible.