RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The pathogen detection rate of traditional ink staining procedure (TISP) is low. METHODS: A modified ink staining procedure (MISP) was created to accumulate pathogen by using cell slide centrifuge. Items of RBC, WBC, and cryptococcus were observed. RESULTS: There were 79.98 ± 54.94 RBC and 126.98 ± 36.39 WBC in one MISP microscopic field whereas there were only 3.35 ± 2.41 RBC and 6.15 ± 1.85 WBC in one TISP microscopic field in the same sample (*200). There was statistical difference between those two methods (p = 0.000). There were 40.78 ± 13.23 mL cryptococcus in CSF processed by MISP whereas there were only 2.10 ± 1.10 mL cryptococcus in the same CSF processed by TISP. There was statistical difference between those two methods. CONCLUSIONS: The modified ink staining procedure contributes to the separation of cells and pathogens (such as cryptococcus).