Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis following hemorrhagic cerebral infarction.

A polymorphonuclear pleocytosis of the cerebrospinal fluid is an occasional occurrence following hemorrhagic cerebral infarction. Because the peak of this neutrophilic reaction occurs 3 to 4 days after the event it is usually missed and not widely appreciated. We have described an example of this response in an attempt to alert physicians to an important differential diagnostic consideration when faced with a neutrophilic CSF pleocytosis.