title: Diagnostic pitfalls in cerebrospinal fluid cytology.
abstract: Four types of cells that may be the source of important diagnostic pitfalls in cerebrospinal fluid cytology are presented: (1) nucleus pulposus cells, (2) keratinized squamous cells from craniopharyngioma and sphenoid sinus carcinoma, (3) reactive leptomeningeal cells and (4) epitheloid cells from sarcoidosis. For each the cellular morphology is described and representative clinical, cytologic and histologic presentations are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002356:Cartilage / Q000166:cytology; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008578:Meninges / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid