[Determination of tuberculostearic acid--progress in early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis].

Rapid diagnosis of cerebral tuberculous meningitis is of the greatest importance in determining the outcome of therapy. Since tubercle bacilli are often not seen on microscopy of the cerebrospinal fluid, and culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis takes many weeks, there is a need for more rapid and sensitive confirmatory tests. The importance of the detection of tuberculostearic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid in combination with magnet resonance imaging will be shown in this case report.