Research Article

Diagnostic value of cytological and microbiological methods in cryptococcal meningitis

Published: March 26, 2014
Genet. Mol. Res. 13 (4) : 9253-9261 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.March.26.3
Cite this Article:
M. Zhang, J.C. Li, H. Lin, W. Zhang, M. Lin, L. Wu, W. Liu, J.S. Mu, J.X. Ye, X.P. Cui (2014). Diagnostic value of cytological and microbiological methods in cryptococcal meningitis. Genet. Mol. Res. 13(4): 9253-9261. https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.March.26.3
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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.

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.