title: [Cytologic examination of the cerebrospinal fluid in the diagnosis of primary or metastatic neoplasms of the nervous system].
abstract: The authors report 6 cases of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations in which malignant cells were found. In 5 cases the finding was incidental: medulloblastoma (case 1); malignant melanoma (case 2); adenocarcinoma (case 3); meningitis carcinomatosa (case 4) and neuroleukaemia (case 5). In only one case neuroleukaemia was suspected before the study of the CSF (case 6). The unexpected occurrence of malignant cells in the CSF demands the pathologist to be well acquainted with tumor cell cytology, in order to identify them providing so useful information that can decidedly influence subsequent diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The cell collection technic developed in the authors' laboratory was considered adequate, because both inflammatory and malignant cells were securely identified. Its principle is to obtain thin air-dried smears that dry almost instantaneously on slides, in order the cellular structure be preserved. After centrifuging about 5-8 ml of CSF the tube is inverted so as to pour off the whole of the supernatant fluid. It is kept inverted with the operator's left hand, so that no drop of fluid can run back on to the cells. With his right hand the operator touches the bottom of the inverted tube with a Pasteur micropipette preciously made by distending a microhematocrit tube under the flame of a Bunsen burner and attached with adhesive tape to the handle of a wire loop 2 mm in diameter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008545:Melanoma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008875:Middle Aged; D009423:Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000556:secondary; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
vernacular_title: Exame citológico do líquido céfalo-raquidiano no diagnóstico de neoplasias primitivas ou metastáticas do sistema nervoso: a propósito de seis casos.