The presence of what in CSF is thought to be diagnostic of tuberculous meningitis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The detection of microbial products or components has been used in recent years to diagnose infections caused by M. tuberculosis. Tuberculostearic acid is a fatty acid that can be extracted from the cell wall of mycobacteria and then detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in clinical samples containing few mycobacteria. Because of the limited number of species that can cause meningitis and the fact that M. tuberculosis appears to be the only one of these species that releases tuberculostearic acid into the surrounding environment, the presence of this substance in CSF is thought to be diagnostic of tuberculous meningitis.

The Presence of What in CSF Is Thought to Be