Table 4.

Cerebrospinal fluid diagnostic workup

Adult
Standard test	Glucose Chloride Proteins Cell count and Cytological evaluation
Advanced test	Bacterioscopic test and cultures Link Index Anti-HCV antibodies HbsAg Anti-HBsAg (aHBs) Antibodies Anti-HIV antibodies VDRL (Venereal Diseases Research Laboratories) Anti-HSV 1/2 Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-VZV Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-CMV Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-EBV Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-HSV 1_2 Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-Treponema antibodies PCR against neurotropic virus (CMV, HSV, HZV, VZV, EBV, JCV) (in case of probable acute infection) Lymphocyte Subsets
Suspicion and if clinically indicated	Borrelia Burgdorferi PCR
Children
Standard test	Glucose Chloride Proteins Cell count and Cytological evaluation
Advanced test	Bacterioscopic test and cultures Link Index HbsAg Anti-HBsAg (aHBs) Antibodies Anti-HSV 1/2 Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-VZV Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-CMV Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Anti-EBV Antibodies (IgG and IgM) Mycoplasma antibodies (IgG and IgM) PCR against neurotropic virus (CMV, HSV, HZV, VZV, EBV, JCV) (in case of probable acute infection)
In case of suspicion and if clinically indicated	Anti-Treponema antibodies Borrelia Burgdorferi PCR

CMV indicates cytomegalovirus; EBV, Epstein-Barr Virus; HSV, Herpes Simplex Virus; HZV, Herpes Zoster Virus; JCV, John Cunningham Virus; PCR protein chain reaction; SARS-Cov 2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; VZV, Varicella Zoster Virus