CSF Cells: Cell Count, Cytomorphology, Cytology, and Immunophenotyping

Abstract

Assessing the number and type of CSF cells are integral parts of the diagnostic workup of CSF analysis. However, microscopic evaluation of cell morphology provides additional important details that may be missed, if omitted, such as different stages of leukocyte activation, stages of phagocytosis, atypical cells, or tumor cells. While such level of detail may be not required for each and every sample, microscopic evaluation is recommended at least for all cases of differential diagnosis. This chapter provides a review of standard techniques and guidance for interpretation, including comments about potential pitfalls and advice for special cases.