Assessment of the utility of viral culture of cerebrospinal fluid.
Nucleic acid amplification testing is the preferred method to detect enteroviruses and Herpesviridae in cerebrospinal fluid, but clinicians still request viral culture. Review of 22,394 viral cultures of cerebrospinal fluid samples found that <0.1% recovered nonenterovirus, non-Herpesviridae species, suggesting that, when nucleic acid amplification testing is performed, viral culture may have no additional benefit.
Polage
Christopher R
CR
Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. polagec@aruplab.com
Petti
Cathy A
CA
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000191:economics; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods