Ependymal-choroidal cells in cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract

✓ Samples of cerebrospinal fluid removed from 66 patients with various non-neoplastic disorders during pneumoencephalography or ventriculography were examined cytologically using the method of Millipore filtration. In addition to leukocytes and other types of cells, clumps of ependymal or choroidal cells were frequently noted; they were found most often and in greatest numbers in hydrocephalic infants. The authors hypothesize that these cells are constantly being shed and replaced, especially during infancy, and that their exfoliation is increased if the ventricles are stretched by hydrocephalus. It is important that one recognizes the nature of these clumps of ependymal or choroidal cells to avoid misidentifying them as leukocytes or tumor cells.