CSF: CLINICAL

APPLICATIONS

Group members: Rahma Nasir, Maryam Elnazier, Jannat

Akram, Haneen Badreldin
 Table of Content

Formation and
01 CSF and Its Function 02 Flow of CSF

Therapeutic
03 Diagnosis of diseases 04 Treatments

05 References
 Cerebrospinal fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a watery fluid

that is continuously produced and
absorbed and that flows in the ventricles
within the brain and around the surface
of the brain and spinal cord it’s produced
by the choroid plexus, a series of infolded
blood vessels that project into the
cerebral ventricles, and it is absorbed
into the venous system.
 CSF Functions

01 It acts as a shock absorber, by

providing a fluid that cushions the
brain protecting it from injuries

Removes by-products of metabolism, it also 02

contributes to the homeostasis and
metabolism of the CNS

It provides natural buoyancy that prevents the

03 brain from compressing the internal surface of
the skull bones against the blood vessels and
cranial nerves
 Formation of CSF

❏ The cerebrospinal fluid is produced by

specialized tissues known as the choroid
plexus present in the lateral, third and
fourth ventricles.
❏ The walls of the choroid plexus have
capillary networks.
❏ The blood in these capillaries forms the
CSF by the filtration of the blood plasma.
 Flow of CSF
The CSf goes from the lateral From the third ventricle, it flows
ventricles to the third ventricle 01 02 to the fourth ventricle through the
by the interventricular foramen cerebral aqueduct.

It then returns back to the Some of the CSf from the fourth
bloodstream from where it 06 03 ventricle enters the central
originated. canal of the spinal cord.

Majority of the CSF flows from

The fluid is then reabsorbed the fourth ventricle into the
into the dural venous sinuses by 05 04
subarachnoid space by median
the arachnoid villi and lateral apertures.
 Diagnosis of Diseases

Disease can be diagnosed by obtaining and

analysis a CSF sample. A CSF sample is
normally clear and colorless. The sample is
obtained by making a lumbar puncture and
inserting a needle into the spinal canal in the
lumbar area, and tests are conducted on the
sample, or it is cultured in a container with
the help of growth substances to detect the
presence of bacteria.
 Diseases

Infectious diseases such as Meningitis. It can be

01 bacterial, fungal or viral. In case of meningitis,
there is low sugar content, increase white blood
cell count and increased protein in the CSF.

Autoimmune disorders like Multiple sclerosis and

Guillain-Barre syndrome. If a patient has these
02 disorders, their CSF sample shows high levels of
immune system proteins (antibodies). This type of
CSF analysis is also called igG/albumin.
 Stroke. CSF sample can be obtained and its pressure
03 is measured. High pressure is a sign of stroke. This is
a condition where the blood vessels supplying the
brain is blocked and becomes narrower, leading to
high blood pressure

Internal bleeding. It gives red, yellow or brown color to

04 the CSF sample- this change of color appears over several
days- and low glucose levels, several days after bleeding
begins.
 Route of administrations of the drugs into the CSF:

1) Intrathecal injection: The

drug is administered into the spinal
canal or the subarachnoid space
where it reaches the CSF.

● This route of administration is applied

for spinal anesthesia, chemotherapy
and pain management.

● The drug is given by this route of

administration so that the drug
directly reaches to the brain and is not
stopped by the blood-brain barrier;
which can be the case if the drug is
given orally.
 2) Epidural Administration
● This method of administration
involves injecting the drug into the
epidural space around the spinal cord.

● It involves placement of a catheter

into the epidural space which remains
in place till the duration of the
treatment.

● Epidural anesthesia causes a loss of

sensation (also pain) by blocking the
transmission of signals through the
nerve fibres in or near the spinal cord.

● This is the reason why epidural are

used for pain control during childbirth
and surgery.
 Treatment of Meningitis

The treatment of meningitis varies according to the type of

meningitis a person has.
 Bacterial Meningitis

Most common and Early diagnosis and

life-threatening treatment is the best
treatment
meningitis

Causes brain tissues Intravenous antibiotics

and steroids are used to
to swell reduce the inflammation.

Prevents blood flow to High fluid intake to

the tissues; resulting replace the fluid lost due
in paralysis/ stroke. to vomiting, diarrhea.
 Viral Meningitis

People who get Antibiotics do not

mild viral work against viral
meningitis, recover infections due to the
within few days protective protein
without treatment coating in viruses.

Anti-viral
medications are Viral meningitis is
prescribed if contagious. Precautions
needed. must be followed such
as: washing hands
oftenly, avoiding close
contact.
 Fungal meningitis

After IV, anti-fungal

Long courses of High
medications need to be
01 dose intravenous
continued by taking 02
anti-fungal medications.
through mouth.

Duration of treatment Treatment is longer for

depends on the person’s patients with weak
03 immune system and also immune systems, like 04
according to the type of those with AIDS and
fungal infection. cancer.
 References
Staff, H., 2021. Health Topics A-Z. [online] PeaceHealth. Available at:
<https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hw234563> [Accessed 7 April 2022].

Staff, H., 2021. Health Topics A-Z. [online] PeaceHealth. Available at:
<https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hw234563#aa30304> [Accessed 7 April 2022].

Cleveland Clinic. (2019). Bacterial Meningitis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention. [online] Available at:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11039-bacterial-meningitis [Accessed 8 Apr. 2022].

Anon, (2022). Viral Meningitis. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/viral.html [Accessed 8 Apr. 2022].

Anon, (2022). Fungal Meningitis. [online] Available at:

https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/fungal.html#:~:text=Doctors%20treat%20fungal%20meningitis%20with,take%20antifun
gal%20medications%20by%20mouth [Accessed 8 Apr. 2022].

Kenhub. (2016). Choroid plexus. [online] Available at:

https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/circulation-of-the-cerebrospinal-fluid [Accessed 8 Apr. 2022].

Physiopedia. (2020). CSF Cerebrospinal Fluid. [online] Available at:

https://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php?title=CSF_Cerebrospinal_Fluid&oldid=278478 [Accessed 8 Apr. 2022].

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrathecal_administration