title: [Tuberculous pericarditis: diagnostic value of adenosine deaminase].
abstract: Adenosine desaminase activity was measured in the pericardiac fluid of 35 patients with pericarditis of undetermined origin who were operated upon for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The causes of pericarditis fell into 6 categories: I, tuberculosis (8 cases); II, idiopathy (17 cases); III, neoplasia (6 cases); IV, purulent bacterial infection (2 cases); V, constriction (2 cases) and VI, radiotherapy (1 case). The highest mean adenosine desaminase value (143 U/l) was found in group I. Other values were 34 in group II, 48 in group III and 45 in groups IV to VI. There was a statistically significant difference in this respect between group I and the other groups (P less than 0.0001). If 60 U/l is taken as discriminant value for the diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis, then the adenosine desaminase value has a 100 percent sensitivity and an 80 percent specificity. Measuring this value therefore is a very promising procedure.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica, Hospital General de Asturias, Facultad de Medicina, Espagne.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Telenti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fdez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Quiros
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Susano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno Torrico
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000032:analysis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000201:enzymology; D002648:Child; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010495:Pericarditis, Tuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase
vernacular_title: Péricardite tuberculeuse: valeur diagnostique de l'adénosine désaminase.