Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis
Basic Information 
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colorless fluid produced as an ultrafiltrate of plasma and is actively secreted by ependymal cells and the choroid plexus.
• CSF is absorbed by microvilli located in the venous sinuses, collections of which are called arachnoid granulations.
• CSF is produced at a constant rate in humans and other species; however, the rate of CSF production in horses has not been determined.
• Because the production rate is constant and independent of intracranial pressure, the rate of absorption is the primary regulator of intracranial pressure.
• CSF fills the brain ventricular system, central canal of the spinal cord, and the subarachnoid space.
Overview and Goal(s)
• Suspends and helps nourish the brain and spinal cord as well as give them a degree of physical protection from trauma
• Helps maintain the appropriate ionic and pH environment for the central nervous system (CNS).
• Aids in the regulation of intracranial pressures.
• May help with the diagnosis of problems affecting the CNS of horses.
• Can be performed after collection from either the atlanto-occipital or lumbosacral space.
• Most useful in the diagnosis of neurologic diseases when the problem is the result of either an inflammatory or infectious cause.
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