title: Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in infectious diseases of the nervous system: when to ask, what to ask, what to expect.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis very frequently makes the difference to the diagnosis, not only in relation to infections but also in other diseases of the nervous system such as inflammatory, demyelinating, neoplastic and degenerative diseases. The authors review some practical and important features of CSF analysis in infectious diseases of the nervous system, with regard to acute bacterial meningitis, herpetic meningoencephalitis, neurotuberculosis, neurocryptococcosis, neurocysticercosis and neurosyphilis.
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São PauloSP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luís dos Ramos
authors.initials: Ldos R
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Livramento
authors.forename: Liliana Scaff
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Vianna
mesh_terms: D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000379:methods