Abstract: 　Objective To evaluate the relationship between the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) and cytological change in cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) and the onset of neurocysticercosis in patients. . Methods. NO Level in CSF was detected in 30 cases of neurocysticercosis, 20 cases of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and 20 healthy people as control by using Griess method. The cytological components in CSF were also examined.. Results and Conclusion . Griess method was proved to be a rapid and accurate technique for the detection of NO content in CSF. The NO concentration in cases of neurocysticercosis and TBM was significantly higher than that of control(P<0.01). The neurocysticercosis cases showed the highest CSF NO level which was considerably higher than that of TBM cases(P<0.05). Among the cytological changes, the neurocysticercosis cases also showed a higher count of eosinophils than that of TBM cases and control (P<0.01). The NO level and eosinophils count in CSF increased significantly in patients with neurocysticercosis.

Key words: neurocysticercosis, cerebrospinal fluid, nitric oxide, cytology