Cerebrospinal fluid ferritin level, a sensitive diagnostic test in late-presenting subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The workup of patients with suspected subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) presenting late is complicated by a loss of diagnostic sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bilirubin levels. In this prospective longitudinal study of CSF ferritin levels in SAH, serial CSF samples from 14 patients with aneurysmal SAH requiring extraventricular drainage (EVD) were collected. The control group comprised 44 patients presenting with headache suspicious of SAH. Nine patients underwent a traumatic spinal tap. CSF ferritin levels were significantly higher in the patients with SAH compared with controls (P < .0001). The upper reference range of CSF ferritin is 12 ng/mL, and there was no significant difference between the traumatic and normal spinal taps (mean, 9.0 ng/mL vs 3.9 ng/mL; P = .59). CSF ferritin levels increased after SAH, from an average of 65 ng/mL on day 1 to 1750 ng/mL on day 11 (P < .01). Both the Fisher and Columbia CT scores were significantly correlated with CSF ferritin level. The increase in CSF ferritin level after SAH and possibly may provide additional diagnostic information in patients with suspected SAH who present late to the clinic.
Petzold
Axel
A
Department of Neuroimmunology, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, UK. . a.petzold@ion.ucl.ac.uk
Worthington
Viki
V
Appleby
Ian
I
Kerr
Mary E
ME
Kitchen
Neil
N
Smith
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D005293:Ferritins