Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection (by bacteria, viruses, or fungi), although it can also be caused by bleeding into the meninges, cancer, or diseases of the immune system.

The meninges are three separate membranes, layered together, which serve to encase the brain and spinal cord. The dura is the toughest, outermost layer, and is closely attached to the inside of the skull. The middle layer, the arachnoid, is important in the normal flow of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a lubricating fluid that bathes both the brain and the spinal cord. The innermost layer, the pia, helps direct brain blood vessels into the brain. The space between the arachnoid and the pia contains CSF, which serves to help insulate the brain...