Why the study?
Does PCR improve the detection of enterovirus in CSF compared to viral culture in patients with primary hypogammaglobulinemia and chronic brain disease?
Population
3 patients with primary hypogammaglobulinemia and chronic brain disease
Comparison
Polymerase chain reaction to amplify viral… vs Viral culture from CSF
Design
Case_series
Authors
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May support PCR over culture for enterovirus detection in hypogammaglobulinemic patients; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation.
Does PCR improve the detection of enterovirus in CSF compared to viral culture in patients with primary hypogammaglobulinemia and chronic brain disease?
PCR is a more effective diagnostic tool than viral culture for detecting enterovirus in the CSF of hypogammaglobulinemic patients, likely because intravenous immunoglobulin treatment partially neutralizes the viruses in culture.
Webster et al. (1993) studied this question.
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