CSF Filtration: Scientific and Clinical Update

The filtration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was first used by Wollinsky and coworkers in severely affected GBS patients who did not respond to other therapies (1). Recently published data describing in vitro studies, animal experiments and clinical experience in Ulm, Germany (2-6) encouraged other centres to use this technique. We are actually facing an increase in clinical data on CSF filtration (1,6-18) with enlargement of the range of indications as weh as an understanding of the possible mechanism of CSF filtration in various neurological diseases (3-5, 18-22). Even though it is still an experimental approach more than 40 hospitals — predominantly situated in the German speaking countries — are presently using CSF filtration. Clinical experiences are based on the treatment of more than 250 patients. This increased usage is partly based on the fact that the technique is easy to perform and associated with a low incidence of side effects. The main reason for the growing acceptance of CSF filtration, however, is the increasing number of publications indicating that CSF filtration offers the opportunity to intervene in the course of diseases even in late chronic stages.