Assisting the neurologist in diagnosis of CNS malignancies - Current Possibilities and Limits of Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytology and Immunocytochemistry.

OBJECTIVES: In tumorous impairment of CNS, cytological identification of the neoplastic cells in CSF frequently requires the use of ancillary techniques. Our methods are focused on identifying algorithms that increase the probability of identifying CSF malignant cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1.272 CSF samples from patients with tumorous infiltration of CNS of nonhematologic origin along with 721 samples from patients with hematologic malignancies were analyzed in a complex setting including cytological and immunocytochemical investigations.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In CSF diagnostics we are aware of the limited amount of sample combined frequently with neoplastic oligocytosis. Provided atypical, potentially malignant cells in CSF are found, further investigation(s) should maximize the probability of their identification-an appropriate cytological staining and immunocytochemical panel is to be applied. (i) In cases of known recent malignancy: immunoprofile of the recent neoplasm has been considered in immunocytochemical panel. (ii) In patients with a history of malignancy: The propensity to develop a new different malignancy must be taken into account. (iii) Atypical cells found in the CSF of a patient with a negative history of malignancy: Considering the most frequent clinically silent malignancies, stepwise immunocytochemistry is employed. Three milliliter of initial CSF sample represents the absolute minimum to start with.

CONCLUSIONS: The steps of the laboratory activity targeted on malignancy in the CSF detection can be expected as follows: (i) The sample will be divided for both nonmorphology and cytopathology investigations. (ii) Basic stainings will triage the samples into those with no suspicion of malignancy and the remaining ones. (iii) Special stainings and stepwise immunocytochemistry will be performed in parallel with the nonmorphology investigations.