25 Jul
The diagnosis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea or otorrhea (leakage of CSF into the nose or ear, usually as a result of head trauma, tumor, congenital malformation, or surgery) is often difficult to confirm.Traditional chemical assays (glucose, protein, specific gravity etc) are unreliable. Radiographic studies are costly and may entail additional risks to the patient.
Beta-2 transferrin is a CSF-specific variant of transferrin and is used as an endogenous marker of
CSF leakage. This assay enables prompt diagnosis and localization, thus facilitating appropriate decisions and decreases the risk of meningitis.