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| blood-brain barrier | The physiologic interface between the vascular system and the cerebrospinal fluid. Changes in the normal regulating conditions of the blood-brain barrier result in changes in the normal chemical and cellular composition of the cerebrospinal fluid |
| Cerebrospinal fluid | The normally clear, colorless fluid found between the arachnoid (or arachnoidea) and pia mater in the brain and spinal cord. The fluid is formed primarily from plasma by selective secretions of the choroid plexus and, to a lesser extent, by intrathecal synthesis by ependymal cells of the ventricles |
| Choroid plexus | the highly vascular fold of capillaries, nerevs, and ependymal cells in the pia mater. Located in the four ventricles of the brain, the choroid plexus actively synthesizes cerebrospinal fluid |
| Meninges | the three membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. The innermost membrane is the pia mater, the outermost membrane is the dura mater, and the centrally located membrane is the arachnoid (or arachnoidea) |
| Meningitis | Inflammation of the meninges |
| Oligoclonal bands | multiple discrete bands in the y regionnoted during electrophoresis f plasma or other body fluids (e.g. cerebrospinal fluid) |
| Pleocytosis | the presence of a greater than normal number of cells in the cerebrospinal fluid |
| stat | an abreviation for the Latin word statim, which means "immediately" |
| subarachnoid space | the space between the arachnoid (or arachnoidea) and the pia mater |
| ventricles | four fluid-filled cavities in the brain lined with ependymal cells. The choroid plexus is located in the ventricles |
| arthritis | the inflammation of a joint |
| arthrocentesis | a percutaneous puncture procedure used to remove synovial fluid from joint cavities |
| hyaluronate | a high-molecular-weight polymer of repeating disaccharide units secreted by synoviocytes into the synovial fluid. Hyaluronate imparts the high viscosity to synovial fluid and serves as a lubricant for a joint; it is a salt or ester of hyaluronic acid |
| ascites | the excessive accumulation of serous fluid in the peritoneal cavity |
| chyle | a milky-appearing emulsion of lymph and chylomicrons (triglycerides) that originates from intestinal lymphatic absorption during digestion |
| effusion | an accumulation of fluid in a body cavity as a result of a pathologic process |
| exudate | an effusion in a body cavity caused by increased capillary permeability or decreased lymphatic absorption. An exudate is identified by a fluid-to-serum total protein ration greater than 0.5, a fluid0to-serum lactate dehydrogenase ratio greater than 0.6, or both |
| mesothelial cells | flat cells that form a single layer of epithelium that covers the surface of serous membranes (i.e. the pleura, pericardium, and peritoneum) |
| paracentesis | a percutaneous puncture procedure used to remove fluid from a body cavity; for example, the pleural, pericardial, or peritoneal cavity |
| pseudochylous effusion | an effusion that appears milky but does not contain chylomicrons and has a low (less than 50 mg/dl) triglyceride content |
| serous fluid | a fluid that has a composition similar to that of serum |
| transudate | an effusion in a body cavity caused by increased hydrostatic pressure (i.e., blood pressure) or decreased plasma oncotic pressure. A transudate is identified by a fluid-to-serum total protein ratio of less than 0.5 and a fluid to serum lactate dehydrogenase ratio of less than 0.6 |
