Diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid procaicitonin level in intracranial infection after craniotomy

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid procalcitonin (PCT) level in intracranial infection after craniotomy.Methods Forty post-craniotomy patients with suspicious intracranial infection were chosen in our study; these patients were divided into infected and disinfected group (n=20).PCT and white blood cell (WBC) counts in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid were detected and analyzed,respectively.Results Both PCT and WBC values in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum in the infected group were significantly higher than those in the disinfected group (P＜0.05).Both PCT and WBC in the CSF had good sensitivity,and PCT in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum had high specificity.Correlation analysis indicated that CSF WBC and serum PCT were positively correlated to CSF PCT (r=0.729,P=0.000; r=0.679,P=0.000).Conclusion CSF PCT could be proposed as an effective diagnostic marker for intracranial infection and it is superior to serum PCT and WBC count. Key words: Intracranial infection;  Procalcitonin;  White blood cell count;  Cerebrospinal fluid