The role of procalcitonin in the diagnosis of meningitis: A literature review

Dimitrios Velissaris, Martina Pintea, Nikolaos Pantzaris, Eirini Spatha, Vassilios Karamouzos, Charalampos Pierrakos, Menelaos Karanikolas

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To review the current published literature on the use of procalcitonin as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in adult patients with meningitis. Methods: We conducted a PubMed search to identify all relevant publications regarding the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum procalcitonin in patients with a known or suspected central nervous system infection. We also reviewed the bibliographies of all identified manuscripts in an attempt to identify additional relevant references. Results: A significant body of evidence suggests that serum procalcitonin has a promising role and can be a useful biomarker in the assessment of patients with meningitis. Conclusions: Our literature review suggests that data on the role of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) procalcitonin are limited, whereas serum procalcitonin (S–PCT) is probably a useful tool in the evaluation of patients with a known or suspected central nervous system infection and can help distinguish between bacterial and viral meningitis.

Original languageEnglish
Article number148
JournalJournal of Clinical Medicine
Volume7
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 11 2018

Keywords

  • Antibiotic therapy
  • Bacterial meningitis
  • Biomarker
  • Differential diagnosis
  • Procalcitonin
  • Viral meningitis

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