Cerebrospinal Fluid Preparation

This application note provides information on specific application methods and the use of Hettich products.

Excerpt:

Cerebrospinal Fluid Preparation.

Slide preparation of cerebrospinal fluid for cytological examination:

In liquor diagnostics, conventional liquor cytology plays a vital role in the detection and classification of infectious inflammatory diseases of the CNS, in the detection of bleedings in subarachnoid spaces and the discovery of neoplastic cells. Also, cytological preparations are used for follow-up tests and therapy control.1) As cerebrospinal fluid usually contains few cells and little albumin, cells start suffering damage a few hours after punction. Therefore, liquor samples taken to prepare slides for cytological examination should not be older than 2 hours.2) Not only is the age, but also the processing of the samples of vital importance for the diagnostic value of the preparations. Proper preparations of cerebrospinal fluid require optimal cell recovery and the preclusion of selective cell loss. The morphology of the cells needs to be maintained to enable correct identification of the different cell populations.

Hettich products are designed to help you achieve optimal results for your application and are built to perform to the specifications outlined in the operators manual. For application-specific information and settings, please refer to your organization’s standard operating procedure. As always, our Hettich representatives are here to help determine which Hettich products and/or accessories best fit your laboratory requirements.