Medical Encyclopedia

CSF oligoclonal banding - series: Procedure, part 3

CSF oligoclonal banding - series Illustrations: Normal anatomy Indications Procedure, part 1 Procedure, part 2 Procedure, part 3

Both the samples are added to a gel, which is then filtered through a cartridge. The gel separates the proteins in each sample and the lab looks for oligoclonal banding.

Results:

Normal:

One or less bandings found in the CSF is normal.

Abnormal:

Results are considered abnormal if there are 2 or more bandings found in the CSF and not in the blood serum. This may indicate multiple sclerosis (MS). CSF oligoclonal bands are found in 83% to 94% of patients with definite MS. Other causes of oligoclonal banding in CSF include encephalitis, meningitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, polyneuritis, headache, and other conditions.