Background: Neural tuberculosis is an infection of the central nervous system caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Bearing in mind that neural tuberculosis is the most severe form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis and results in significant morbidity and mortality rates, it is important to analyze its sociodemographic characteristics in Brazil. Objectives: To describe the sociodemographic characteristics of neural tuberculosis cases in Brazil in the period from 2010 to 2020. Design and Setting: Cross-sectional, retrospective, and descriptive study, carried out using data collected from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) and the Hospital Information System (SIH / SUS) of confirmed cases and hospitalizations for neural tuberculosis. Methods: Variables used: region, sex, age group, color/race and year of service. Results: In the period from 2010 to 2020, the number of notified cases of meningoencephalic tuberculosis was 7.451, with mean cases per year of 677.36. The Southeast region was the most affected with 43.8% of the total cases, followed by the South and Northeast regions, with 24.1% and 20.1%, respectively. There was a wide predominance in individuals aged 30-39 years (42.8%) and in the age group 40-59 years (35.9%). The male sex was the most affected with 63.3% of the total. Conclusions: The study shows a predominance of cases in the South and Southeast regions, with a significant prevalence of males and age groups of 20- 59. This could be an alert for new prevention and health promotion strategies for the most affected groups.
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