in a csf cytology ananlysis it is shown that occassional RBC are seen. What is the consequence? Any abnormality?it is a sample from a child of 7.5...

Spinal fluid or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bathes the
central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).  It is normally water clear with scant
cellular content.  Normal cells found in the CSF include small numbers of white blood
cells (WBC) and occasional macrophages and ependymal lining
cells.

Since spinal fluid is obtained by a spinal tap
(insertion of a hypodermic needle through the skin into the spinal canal), there will
always be a few red blood cells (RBC) introduced into the fluid due to the trauma of the
needle stick.  So the presence of small numbers of RBC in spinal fluid is normal and of
no significance.

The purpose of spinal fluid analysis is to
detect inflammatory conditions such as spinal meningitis or encephalitis of the brain,
hemorrhage in the brain or spinal cord, autoimmune conditions such as the ascending
paralysis of the Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and tumors (especially
cancers).

CSF cytology is performed by spinning down the
spinal fluid specimen, recovering the cells and spreading them onto a slide.  The slide
is stained and examined microscopically for cells.

In
inflammatory conditions  there are increased numbers of WBC and RBC.  In brain or spinal
cord hemorrhage large numbers of RBC will be present, with far fewer WBC.  In cancers
that involve the brain or spinal cord (either primary and arising from these structures,
or metastatic from cancer arising elsewhere) there will be cancer cells that have been
shed into the CSF.  These abnormal cells can be picked up on the microscopic cytology
examination.

In summary, small numbers of red blood cells
are to be expected in CSF analysis, and are considered normal and of no medical
significance.