title: Lumbar and ventricular CSF protein, leukocytes, and lactate in suspected bacterial CNS infections.
abstract: Protein concentration, leukocyte density, and lactate concentration were studied in 41 pairs of ventricular and lumbar CSF drawn at an interval of less than 24 hours from patients with suspected bacterial CNS infections. The ventriculo-lumbar ratios ranged from 0.003 to 10.2 (median=0.42) for protein and from 0.002 to 53.5 (median=0.17) for leukocytes. The uneven distribution of leukocytes and proteins in the CSF space may produce findings that fail to indicate bacterial CNS infections. Lactate was distributed more homogeneously in the CSF space than protein and leukocytes (ventriculo-lumbar ratio 0.52 to 1.66 [median=0.811).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tumani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kolenda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000382:microbiology; D013116:Spinal Cord; D013492:Suppuration / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D019344:Lactic Acid