ArticleFrontiers in microbiology2025
The application value and limitations of metagenomic detection technology based on cerebrospinal fluid samples in suspected central nervous system infection: a retrospective study.
Article in Frontiers in microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Rapid Molecular Diagnostics for Bloodstream Infection in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Clinical utility of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in infants with severe infections.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- A framework of Microbial Genomic Database for clinical metagenomic pathogen diagnosis: development and multi-cohort evaluation.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
19 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Accurately diagnosing central nervous system (CNS) infections remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in diagnosing suspected CNS infections and its role in facilitating rapid and accurate pathogen identification. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled cerebrospinal fluid specimens from 246 patients with suspected CNS infections and 20 controls with definitively ruled-out infections. Using clinical diagnoses established by an expert panel based on comprehensive criteria as the reference standard, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of mNGS relative to culture and conventional tests. Additionally, we analyzed the therapeutic guidance value of positive mNGS results and risk factors for false negatives. Results: mNGS showed 73.2% (180/246) agreement with clinical diagnosis, superior to culture (54.1%, 133/246) and conventional methods (61.4%, 151/246). For general bacteria and fungi, mNGS showed 61.9% (26/42) concordance with culture. False negatives in mNGS predominantly involved viral missed detection. Age, presence of systemic infection, headache, and cerebrospinal fluid glucose levels were likely key determinants of mNGS performance. mNGS detection of Epstein-Barr virus, Streptococcus spp., Conclusion: mNGS holds significant value for the diagnosis, therapeutic management, and prognostic assessment of suspected CNS infections.
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