title: Predictive value of polymerase chain reaction of cerebrospinal fluid for detection of Epstein-Barr virus to establish the diagnosis of HIV-related primary central nervous system lymphoma.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for detection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA has been proposed as a minimally invasive method for establishing the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus-related primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). In a review of the operational characteristics of this test in our clinical practice, the positive predictive value of CSF PCR for EBV for establishing the diagnosis of PCNSL was only 29%. Of 7 patients with CSF PCR positive for EBV, 2 had PCNSL, and 5 received alternative diagnoses (specificity, 79.1%).
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. livers@partners.org
authors.forename: Louise C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ivers
authors.forename: Arthur Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Sax
mesh_terms: D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral