Sensitivity and specificity of immunocytochemical staining of mycobacterial antigens in the cytoplasm of cerebrospinal fluid macrophages for diagnosing tuberculous meningitis.

The sensitivity and specificity of immunocytochemical staining of mycobacterial antigens in the cytoplasm of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) macrophages for diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) was prospectively compared with Ahuja criteria from 393 consecutive CSF specimens. The assay can play an important role for the diagnosis of TBM, with sensitivity of 73.5% and specificity of 90.7%.