UMEM Educational Pearls

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Title: Xanthochromia in CSF

Category: Neurology

Keywords: xanthochromia, csf, lumbar puncture, meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial bleed (PubMed Search)

Posted: 7/2/2009 by Aisha Liferidge, MD (Updated: 7/21/2026)

Xanthochromia is the yellowish discoloration of the supernatant from centrifuged cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Xanthochromia is an abnormal finding and results from the lysis of red blood cells.

Xanthochromia is present is CSF in > 90% of patients within 12 hours of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) onset.