In the present work, the involvement of cranial and spinal nerve roots in tuberculous meningitis was studied. Cranial nerves of 11 cases and the spinal roots of three patients were examined by means of serial sections of the base of the brain, brainstem and spinal cord. Although entrapment of the nerves by the tenacious inflammatory exudate was prominent, vasculitis lesions of the cranial nerves and spinal roots were also frequently observed. The latter could be an additional cause of nerve palsies in tuberculous meningitis.