[Spinal fluid lysozyme levels in childhood meningitis (author's transl)].

Lysozyme was determined with a turbidimetric assay in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. There were 17 children without CNS-disease, 30 patients with viral meningitis, 5 patients with encephalitis, 3 with symphatetic meningitis, 3 with Guillain Barré syndrome, 25 children with bacterial meningitis, 1 patient with tuberculous meningitis and two with intracranial tumors. The lysozyme level was below 0.5 microgram Hl/ml in patients without CNS-disease, in viral and symphatetic meningitis, Guillain Barré syndrome and encephalitis. Elevated lysozyme levels were found in bacterial meningitis, in the one case with tuberculous meningitis and in brain tumors (Ependymoma and Medulloblastoma). In our opinion the lysozyme level is a valuable aid in the differentiation of viral meningitis to bacterial meningitis.