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Cerebrospinal fluid viscosity: a novel diagnostic measure for acute meningitis

Funda Yetkin1, Uner Kayabas, Yasemin Ersoy

  • 1Department of Infectious Disease, Inonu University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey. fundayetkin@hotmail.com

Southern Medical Journal
|August 7, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) viscosity is a sensitive and specific marker for diagnosing meningitis. This simple test can help differentiate between bacterial and aseptic meningitis, aiding early clinical decisions.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Chemistry

Background:

  • Early diagnosis of acute meningitis is crucial due to high mortality and morbidity.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is vital for diagnosing meningitis and differentiating its causes.
  • Plasma viscosity is a known inflammatory marker, suggesting potential for CSF viscosity measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the utility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) viscosity as a complementary diagnostic tool for meningitis.
  • To assess CSF viscosity's role in distinguishing between bacterial and aseptic meningitis.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 41 patients undergoing lumbar puncture to rule out meningitis.
  • Analysis included CSF protein, CSF viscosity, and patient diagnosis (meningitis or no meningitis).
  • Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic performance.

Main Results:

  • CSF viscosity and protein levels were significantly elevated in meningitis patients compared to non-meningitis patients.
  • CSF viscosity demonstrated high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (93%) for meningitis diagnosis, comparable to CSF protein.
  • Significant differences in CSF viscosity were observed between bacterial and aseptic meningitis groups.

Conclusions:

  • CSF viscosity is a simple, adjunctive measure for diagnosing meningitis.
  • Further clinical studies are needed to confirm CSF viscosity's role in differentiating bacterial from aseptic meningitis.

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