Reference values vary based on several factors, including the specific laboratory that supplies them. A patient's CSF test values should be interpreted based on the reference value of the laboratory in which the test was done; the laboratory typically provides these values with the test result. Some representative values are listed in alphabetical order in the following table.
Table
Representative Laboratory Reference Values: Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)*
Test | Conventional Units | SI Units |
|---|---|---|
Cell count | 0–5 lymphocytes/mcL | 0–5 x 106 lymphocytes/L |
Glucose | 40–80 mg/dL (< 40% of simultaneously measured plasma level if that plasma level is abnormal) | 2.2–4.4 mmol/L (< 40% of simultaneously measured plasma level is abnormal) |
Myelin basic protein | < 1.5 ng/mL | < 1.5 mcg/L |
Protein, total | 15–60 mg/dL | 150–600 mg/L |
