Postmortem cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis.
We show that postmortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis is a common event. Postmortem cerebrospinal or ventricular fluid was obtained from children and adults. The cells were counted and morphologically characterized using several histochemical markers. Infants exhibit a brisk postmortem CSF pleocytosis. Sudden infant death cases have relatively high CSF counts. Typeable cells are mononuclear and consist of approximately 60%-70% lymphocytes and 20%-40% macrophages. When postmortem duration is greater than 12 h, the cells become vacuolated and cannot be identified. The etiology of these findings requires further study.
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Akron, OH 44308.
M S
MS
Platt
S
S
McClure
R
R
Clarke
W U
WU
Spitz
W
W
Cox
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008264:Macrophages; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*