(1,3)-β-D-Glucan Testing for Fungal Meningitis?

BDG testing of cerebrospinal fluid was helpful in diagnosing fungal meningitis in patients who received contaminated methylprednisolone injections.

The use of novel laboratory methods has sometimes allowed identification of an infecting organism and initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy earlier than would be possible with standard culture techniques. Diagnosis of invasive fungal infection with the (1,3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) serum assay is one example. Might the BDG assay also be useful for testing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with suspected fungal meningitis?

To examine the diagnostic accuracy of CSF BDG, researchers conducted a retrospective observational study involving patients who received contaminated methylprednisolone acetate injections and had CSF specimens available for testing. Of the 233 patients, 28 had proven and 17 had probable cases of fungal meningitis acc…

Reviewing Author

Larry M. Baddour, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc. (Authorship duties)

Larry M. Baddour, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate, Inc. (Authorship duties)

(1,3)-β-D-Glucan Testing for Fungal Meningitis?

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Reviewing Author