A Test in Focus

Rondell P. Graham, M.B.B.S., gives an overview of this test available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

Patients with autoimmune myelopathy present with subacute onset and rapid progression of spinal cord symptoms (weakness, gait difficulties, loss of sensation, neuropathic pain, and bowel and bladder dysfunction). Autoimmune myelopathy evaluation of serum and spinal fluid can assist in the diagnosis and aid distinction from other causes of myelopathy (multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, and vascular disease). Early diagnosis may assist in diagnosis of occult cancer, prompt initiation of immune therapies, or both.

The standard test for the diagnosis of narcolepsy is the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). The MSLT is a complex test to perform as well as to interpret. The orexin-A/hypocretin-1 test is a sensitive and specific alternative to the MSLT to diagnose type 1 narcolepsy.

Joseph Yao, M.D., gives an overview of this new test available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon other testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

The diagnosis of mitochondrial disease can be particularly challenging as the presentation can occur at any age, involve virtually any organ system, and be associated with widely varying severities. Due to the considerable overlap in the clinical phenotypes of various mitochondrial disorders, it is often difficult to distinguish these specific inherited disorders without genetic testing.

Joshua Bornhorst, Ph.D., gives an overview of the new Copeptin test available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

Jeffrey (Jeff) Meeusen, Ph.D., gives an overview of the new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) lipoprotein profile available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

Nikola Baumann, Ph.D., gives an overview of the new NASH-FibroTest available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.