NONCONCOMITANCE OF SPINAL FLUID TESTS

Abstract

There are five laboratory tests commonly applied to the spinal fluid in the diagnosis of disease of the central nervous system, namely: (1) Wassermann reaction; (2) test for globulin; (3) test for increased albumin; (4) cell count (increase called pleocytosis); (5) Lange's colloidal gold test. A positive Wassermann reaction in the spinal fluid is practically specific for neurosyphilis. A positive result in the other tests, in a general way, proves a pathologic reaction of an inflammatory nature in the central nervous system. At any rate, where an inflammatory condition of the nervous system exists tests 2, 3, 4, and 5 are usually positive. In other words, in meningitis, encephalitis, tumor with meningitis sympathica, vascular insults with secondary inflammatory reaction, traumatic injury, multiple sclerosis, these four tests are generally positive. In paretic or tabetic neurosyphilis all five are usually positive. The subject of this paper is the consideration of the relation