[Cytologic characteristics of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with serous meningitis caused by enteroviruses, mumps virus or Koch's bacillus].

The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the cytogram of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was performed in the acute phase of enteroviral meningitis (ENTERO MGT. 31 patients), mumps meningitis (MUMPS MGT, 25 patients) and tubercular meningoencephalitis (TBC ME, 15 patients), to observe the basic characteristics and answer the question whether the cytological response of the central nervous system (CNS) is ethyologically determined. The CSF sediment was obtained in Saykov chamber and was dyed according to Pappenheim. In the group of ENTERO MGT the significant representation of neutrophils with the presence of basophile was observed. The main characteristic of MUMPS MGT was mononuclear response with various morphological forms of lymphocyte cells and neglectable presence of neutrophils. TBC ME was characterized by the neutrophilia in the first 12 days of illness; till the end of the fourth week there was an equal representation of neutrophils and mononuclear cells, followed by a significant lymphocytosis. The cells of the monocytemacrophage system and the plasma-cells were constantly present. It could be concluded that differences in cytological response of CNS between ENTERO and MUMPS group were mainly quantitative and dynamic, probably caused by the various pathogenesic mechanisms of inflammation. The cytological picture of CSF during TBC ME in relation to other two groups had certain qualitative, quantitative and dynamic characteristics which could indicate the diagnosis of the specific meningoencephalitis, making this analysis very useful in the early diagnostics of this illness.