title: Spinal proteins in patients with acoustic neuromas.
abstract: The values of total spinal protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), used as normal material, from 98 persons are presented. These values showed that the previously used reference limits (0.20-0.40 g/l) for total protein in CSF were too low, and consequently the new reference values 0.20-0.85 g/l are used. 77 patients with surgically verified acoustic neuromas had total protein determined in CSF prior to operation, and 63% of patients with tumours less than 25 mm in diameter had normal total protein values, while only 3% of patients with tumours larger than 25 mm had normal values. Since the large tumours can be easily diagnosed by the non-invasive computer tomography, it is concluded that CSF total protein determination is only of limited value in the search for acoustic neuromas. A more quantitated examination of CSF proteins (albumin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, IgA, IgG and IgM) showed significantly increased values among the tumour patients, but the findings were not of any significant clinical value in the diagnosis of tumours.
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012016:Reference Values; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins