title: [Cerebrospinal fluid in the diagnosis of spinal schistosomiasis].
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) changes in spinal schistosomiasis have been described. Its characteristic features are mild to moderate pleocytosis, presence of eosinophils, slight to moderate protein increase, elevated gamma globulin concentration and a positive immune assay. Nevertheless, these abnormalities are not always present together and therefore difficulties may arise in the assessment of the diagnosis. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the importance of each CSF alteration concerning the diagnosis in 22 cases of spinal schistosomiasis. According to the results, only 20% of the cases had all the five feature that are considered to be characteristic of spinal schistosomiasis. Abnormal cell count was present in 86%, protein increase in 77.3%, immunoglobulin G increase in 60,8%, eosinophils were present in 36.8% and indirect fluorescent antibody test was positive in 68.2%. In three cases all CSF parameters studied were within the normal limits. As the most specific test among those described was the indirect fluorescent antibody test, it should be regarded for the diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. egidiotesser@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Egídio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tesser
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes Amud Ali dos
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Primavera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borelli
authors.forename: Sandro Luiz de Andrade
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Matas
authors.forename: João Baptista dos
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Reis Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000469:parasitology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D020818:Neuroschistosomiasis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D007075:Immunoglobulin M