[Chemoluminescence of the cerebrospinal fluid in spinal cord tumors]

The article discusses a new method for recognising tumors of the spinal cord--spontaneous and photoinduced chemoluminescence of the cerebrospinal fluid. Twenty-seven patients with tumors of the spinal cord of various localization and histological structure and 15 individuals of the control group were examined. Statistically significant differences in chemoluminescence in extra- and intramedullary tumors and in the control group were revealed. The effect of intensified luminescence of the cerebrospinal fluid in exposure to ultraviolet radiation was demonstrated, especially in cases with extramedullary tumors. The described method is an auxiliary criterion in c.s.f. diagnosis of spinal tumors.