Cerebrospinal fluid cytology: practical clinical usefulness.

Sedimentation cytomorphology is a simple, inexpensive technique of collecting cells from cerebrospinal fluid and is of great clinical value. Important variables such as blood contamination, age of the patient, and general clincial condition must be considered. Specific conditions for which cerebrospinal fluid cytomorphology shows clinical usefulness include central nervous system leukemia, hemorrhage, immunopathies, infections, and brain tumors. Clinical examples of each of these conditions and their correlated cytograms are presented.