Human African trypanosomiasis is a lethal parasitic infection with neurological involvement. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays an essential role in diagnosis, selection of treatment and post-treatment follow-up. This paper reviews clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, with emphasis on CSF characteristics and interpretation of the CSF results for therape...

Analysis on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in neurological diagnosis has always been considered to be a strong point among the main complementary examinations in Brazil. The present paper reviews the main events in the history of CSF in the neurological sciences, with emphasis on the founders of several CSF schools in our country from the beginning of the 20th century to the present time.

Cerebrospinal fluid gamma-aminobutyric acid (CSF-GABA) was analysed by radioreceptor assay in 16 normal controls and 84 patients with various neurological and psychiatric diseases. In patients with spinocerebellar degeneration, neuro-Behçet's syndrome and Parkinson's disease, CSF-GABA levels were decreased. On the other hand, increased CSF-GABA levels were detected in patients with meningitis.

Choline levels in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in patients with craniocerebral trauma (N = 67), Parkinson's disease (N = 20), miscellaneous extrapyramidal disorders (N = 28) and Huntington's chorea (N = 5). No differences in CSF choline levels were observed between these diagnostic groups and a group of neurological controls (N = 22). However, CSF choline levels were found to ...

We reformulated a multiplex PCR algorithm for serotyping of pneumococcal meningitis directly on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Compared to established methods on isolates, CSF-based PCR had at least 80% sensitivity and 100% specificity. In regional meningitis surveillance, CSF-based PCR increased the serotype information yield from 40% of cases (isolate testing) to 90%.

Cerebrospinal fluid gamma-aminobutyric acid (CSF-GABA) was analysed by radioreceptor assay in 16 normal controls and 84 patients with various neurological and psychiatric diseases. In patients with spinocerebellar degeneration, neuro-Beh9et's syndrome and Parkinson's disease, CSF-GABA levels were decreased. On the other hand, increased CSF-GABA levels were detected in patients with meningitis.

Moxifloxacin cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration was evaluated by obtaining full plasma and CSF time concentration curves for 4 patients with tuberculous meningitis. The geometric mean ratio of the areas under the curve for CSF to plasma were 0.82 (range, 0.70-0.94) at 400 mg once per day and 0.71 (0.58-0.84) at 800 mg once per day.

abstract life-threatening infections caused by the encapsulated fungal pathogen cryptococcus neoformans have been increasing steadily over the past 10 years. cryptococcus neoformans is recognized as the most frequent fungal infection of the central nervous system (cns) in immunocompetent as well as immunocompromised patients. we report the development of a semi-nested- pcr-based assay for the d...

INTRODUCTION The management of posttraumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea remains a clinical challenge. Cerebrospinal fistula is a dural defect responsible for possible CSF leakage into the contiguous air-filled cavities located at the skull base. The risk of central nervous system infection in these conditions is severe and can be life threatening. Consequently, a specific CSF biomark...