Comparison of cerebellomedullary and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid analysis in dogs with neurological disease

Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis aids in categorizing underlying disease processes in patients with neurologic disease. Convention suggests that CSF should be collected caudal to the lesion. However, little evidence exists to justify this assertion. Hypothesis/Objectives Evaluate the clinicopathologic differences between CSF collected from the cerebellomedullary (CM) and lumbar cisterns in dogs presented for evaluation of neurologic disease. Animals Fifty‐one client‐owned dogs undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CSF collection for investigation of neurologic disease. Methods Cerebrospinal fluid was prospectively collected from the CM and lumbar cisterns in all patients. The total protein (TP) concentration, red blood cell (RBC) count, and total nucleated cell count (TNCC) were analyzed within 30 minutes of collection. Results and cytology findings were interpreted by a single pathologist. Results Fifty‐one paired samples were collected. The TNCC (P