title: The addition of RPMI significantly improves the cellularity of cerebrospinal fluid cytology specimens over time.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytology specimens of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be hypocellular, and the cells in CSF specimens degrade rapidly.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the current study, the authors attempted to determine whether the addition of RPMI media to CSF specimens at the time of their receipt in the laboratory could improve the cellularity of specimens that would be processed 24 hours and 48 hours later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the initial specimen that was processed at the time of receipt in the laboratory, specimens with RPMI added preserved at least 90% of their cellularity. In contrast, specimens that were processed without RPMI lost 70% and 94% of their cellularity at 24 hours and 48 hours, respectively, even with refrigeration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For CSF specimens that cannot be immediately processed, the addition of RPMI appears to significantly improve cellularity at 24 hours to 48 hours after their receipt in the laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Baptist Hospital, Miami, FL 33176, USA. andrewr@baptisthealth.net
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Renshaw
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hodes
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Renshaw
authors.forename: Edwin W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Gould
mesh_terms: D002452:Cell Count; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media