Cerebrospinal fluid free amino acids in patients with spinal space-occupying lesions. A preliminary report.

18 different free amino acids were determined in the cerebrospinal fluid of 28 patients with various spinal space--occupying lesions. The study group included 15 patients with lumbar disc lesions (control group), 8 patients with cervical radiculopathy, 4 patients with cervical myelopathy, and 1 patient with a thoracic spinal angioma. The values from the control group were in general accord with those previously observed in normal adults of 5 studies of the literature. Comparison of the values in the different subgroups showed normal values of all amino acids in patients with cervical myelopathy, and significantly higher levels of glutamic acid in patients with cervical radiculopathy. In the case of a thoracic spinal angioma however most free amino acids were extremely high. The authors conclude that this may be due to alterations of the spinal metabolism and that determination of free amino acids in CSF of patients with intradural spinal lesions may help to improve preoperative diagnosis in addition to neuroradiological methods.