What is Xanthochromic CSF?
Xanthochromia, from the Greek xanthos (ξανθός) “yellow” and chroma (χρώμα) “colour”, is the yellowish appearance of cerebrospinal fluid that occurs several hours after bleeding into the subarachnoid space caused by certain medical conditions, most commonly subarachnoid hemorrhage.
How long does it take for xanthochromia to develop?
Therefore, xanthochromic CSF at the time of LP indicates SAH; however, xanthochromia can take as long as 12 hours to develop (19), and delaying an LP for that long after ictus to ensure its appearance may be unacceptable.
What are Oligoclonal bands in CSF?
An oligoclonal band is a protein called an immunoglobulin. The CSF oligoclonal band screen looks for these bands in your CSF. Their presence suggests inflammation of the central nervous system due to infection or another disease. If similar bands aren’t present in your blood, you may have multiple sclerosis (MS).
Is a cerebrospinal fluid leak serious?
There are two different types of Cerebrospinal Fluid leaks: spontaneous and traumatic leaks. Spontaneous leaks occur without a known cause, and traumatic leaks occur typically after a head injury, tumor, or surgery. A CSF leak is very dangerous and potentially life-threatening as it can lead to meningitis.
What does matching oligoclonal bands mean?
The CSF oligoclonal band screen looks for these bands in your CSF. Their presence suggests inflammation of the central nervous system due to infection or another disease. If similar bands aren’t present in your blood, you may have multiple sclerosis (MS).
What does xanthochromia mean in a CSF test?
“Xanthochromia” refers to the yellow colour of CSF due to the presence of bilirubin. The presence of bilirubin in the CSF may indicate a bleed e.g. subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) Austin Pathology offers determination of CSF xanthochromia by spectrophotometry. Perform LP at least 12 hours after the onset of symptoms
When do you know if you have xanthochromia?
When the CSF RBC count is elevated above 10000 RB … Cerebrospinal fluid xanthochromia may be observed within two hours after traumatic LP and sooner in samples with greater than 10000 RBC/ microL. Conversely, xanthochromia in traumatic LP with less than 5000 RBC warrants further investigation for SAH.
When to use xanthochromia to confirm Sah?
When the CSF RBC count is elevated above 10000 RBC/ microL, or the time between sample acquisition and analysis is prolonged, the clinician should not rely on xanthochromia to confirm SAH. MeSH terms Absorption Cerebrospinal Fluid / cytology*
Where do you send a CT scan for xanthochromia?
Bristol require serum total protein and total bilirubin results for xanthochromia analysis. Samples from CGH are sent directly to GRH Pathology from the ward or from CGH Pathology if delivered there. The result of the CT scan.