Cytologic diagnosis of intraventricular hemorrhage in a neonate

A neonate with autoimmune thrombocytopenia presented with megacephaly and hydrocephalus. The cause remained obscure until hemosiderin-laden macrophages were found in the ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), indicating prenatal intracranial hemorrhage. The literature on the diagnosis of intraventricular hemorrhage by the cytologic examination of CSF is reviewed and discussed. The cytologic evaluation of CSF may be helpful in cases of central nervous system dysfunction when the cause is obscure.