title: Diagnostic value of cytological and microbiological methods in cryptococcal meningitis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate diagnostic methods for cryptococcal meningitis (CM). A retrospective analysis was conducted for 31 patients with CM confirmed by etiologic detection of cerebrospinal fluid in our hospital in the past 5 years. Nineteen cases in 31 patients were confirmed with CM in the first diagnosis, with a misdiagnosis rate of 38.7%. The positive rates of cryptococcus detection in cerebrospinal fluid with May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG)-, ink-, and Alcian blue-staining methods were 86.9, 70.9, and 80.6%, respectively. The misdiagnosis rate of CM is high during the early stage of disease. The total positive rate of cryptococcus diagnosis using the MGG-staining method was significantly higher than that using the ink-staining method. These results are important for diagnosing CM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China jingchenglicn@yeah.net.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D055815:Young Adult