[Diagnostic value of siderophages in the cytogram of cerebrospinal fluid].

The demonstration of siderophages in the cerebrospinal fluid is a very reliable diagnostic tool for identifying hemorrhage in the subarachnoid space and ventricular system. Siderophages are found 4 days after spontaneous or traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and persist in some cases up to 120 days, which makes them a reliable indicator of a previous hemorrhage. These findings are the result of an investigation in which 110 samples of cerebrospinal fluid, obtained from 105 patients, were examined for siderophages by the membrane filtration method.