How is Aicardi-Goutières syndrome diagnosed ?

A CT scan of the head will show calcifications in the brain.

A spinal tap can confirm the diagnosis by testing spinal fluid for alpha-interferon and for elevated white blood cell levels.

Testing for alpha-interferon is free if you send blood and a spinal fluid sample to Professor Pierre Lebon in Paris (France). You just have to pay for the spinal tap and for shipping the samples.