ABPN Psychiatry and Neurology Exam 2025 – Complete Practice Test Prep

The finding indicative of aseptic meningitis involves slightly increased lymphocytes and normal glucose levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Aseptic meningitis is typically caused by viral infections, which tend to elicit a lymphocytic response rather than a neutrophilic one commonly associated with bacterial infections.

In cases of aseptic meningitis, the lymphocytic predominance is a hallmark feature, and the glucose level remains within the normal range because, unlike bacterial meningitis, the organisms that primarily cause aseptic meningitis do not consume glucose in the CSF to a significant degree. This is in contrast to bacterial meningitis, where the CSF typically shows a marked increase in neutrophils and a decrease in glucose due to the consumption of glucose by the bacteria and the inflammatory process.

Thus, the combination of slightly increased lymphocytes and normal glucose levels is characteristic of aseptic meningitis, validating the selection made.