ArticleJournal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry2005
Factors influencing PCR detection of viruses in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with suspected CNS infections.
Article in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Encephalitis in Adults: Guidelines From the European Academy of Neurology and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.European journal of neurology · 2026Guideline
- Cerebrospinal fluid in COVID-19: A systematic review of the literature.Journal of the neurological sciences · 2021Pooled it
- High-dose corticosteroids for acute cytomegalovirus-associated transverse myelitis in the immunocompetent patient: a case report and systematic review.Journal of neurovirology · 2019Pooled it
- Enterovirus Encephalitis in People With Multiple Sclerosis on Ocrelizumab: Insights From a Multicenter Case Series.Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation · 2026Article
- Association of Encephalitis With Viruses in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Children: A Case Series.Cureus · 2025Article
- Rare complication of varicella-zoster virus infection: a case report of vernet syndrome in clinical and radiological evidence.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- Viral-induced neuroinflammation: Different mechanisms converging to similar exacerbated glial responses.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Review
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- Using the Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance System to Identify Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis, Australia, 2000‒2018.Emerging infectious diseases · 2022Review
- Clinical Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for Diagnosis of Secondary Glaucoma in Patients With Cytomegalovirus-Induced Corneal Endotheliitis.Frontiers in microbiology · 2022Article
- Detection and genome characterization of Middelburg virus strains isolated from CSF and whole blood samples of humans with neurological manifestations in South Africa.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome in the COVID-19 Pandemic.Neurology international · 2021Review
- Neurolisteriosis in a previously asymptomatic patient with serum IgM deficiency: a case report.BMC neurology · 2020Article
- Review
- Human Pegivirus in Patients with Encephalitis of Unclear Etiology, Poland.Emerging infectious diseases · 2018Article
- Vernet syndrome resulting from varicella zoster virus infection-a very rare clinical presentation of a common viral infection.Journal of neurovirology · 2018Article
- Elsberg syndrome: A rarely recognized cause of cauda equina syndrome and lower thoracic myelitis.Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation · 2017Article
- Infectious encephalitis: utility of a rational approach to aetiological diagnosis in daily clinical practice.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2017Article
- Case report: subacute tetraplegia in an immunocompromised patient.BMC neurology · 2017Article
- Viral etiologies in adult patients with encephalitis in Poland: A prospective single center study.PloS one · 2017Article
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10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to detect viruses in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with neurological disease. However, data to assist its use or interpretation are limited.
objectiveWe investigated factors possibly influencing viral detection in CSF by PCR, which will also help clinicians interpret positive and negative results.
methodsCSF from patients with was tested for human herpesviruses types 1-6, JC virus, enteroviruses, and Toxoplasma gondii. The likelihood of central nervous system (CNS) infection was classified as likely, possible, or unlikely. PCR findings in these categories were compared using single variable and logistic regression analysis.
resultsOf 787 samples tested, 97 (12%) were PCR positive for one or more viruses. Of episodes likely to be CNS viral infections, 30% were PCR positive compared to 5% categorised as unlikely. The most frequent positive findings were Epstein Barr virus (EBV), enteroviruses, and herpes simplex virus (HSV). Enteroviruses and HSV were found predominantly in the likely CNS viral infection group, whereas EBV was found mainly in the unlikely group. Positive PCR results were more likely when there were 3-14 days between symptom onset and lumbar puncture, and when CSF white cell count was abnormal, although a normal CSF did not exclude a viral infection.
conclusionsThe diagnostic yield of PCR can be maximised by using sensitive assays to detect a range of pathogens in appropriately timed CSF samples. PCR results, in particular EBV, should be interpreted cautiously when symptoms cannot readily be attributed to the virus detected.
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