Reibergrams: Essential element in cerebrospinal fluid immunological analysis

Introduction. The cerebrospinal fluid analysis is not displace on diagnosis of neurological disease in spite of the development of imaging techniques. Development. Divulge the reibergrams as essential part of cerebrospinal fluid analysis. To perform a reibergram you have to quantify, albumin, IgA, IgM and IgG in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Then you have to calculate the quotients cerebrospinal fluid/serum and to plot the quotients in the reibergram. From the patterns you can have further information than single analyses. In contrast, the reibergram can yield the following information: about the intrathecal synthesis immunoglobulins, CSF-blood barrier permeability and according to clinical data and symptoms can expect help in differential diagnosis by direct plausibilities or by suggesting the true diagnosis by pointing away from other diseases like opportunistic infections, neuro-tuberculosis and autoimmune inflammatory disease. It would be possible to detect an intrathecal tumour metastasis, monitoring efficacy of therapy and course of disease among others further knowledges. Conclusion. Reibergrams represent the best way to characterize blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier function and intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins on neurological disorders [REV NEUROL 1999; 28: 996-8].