Compartmental analysis of cerebrospinal fluid-blood albumin transfer: consideration of kinetics in normal animals and animals with chronic communicating hydrocephalus.

Transfer of radioactively labelled albumin from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to the blood was monitored in 15 dogs with normal cisternograms and in 8 dogs with induced communicating hydrocephalus. Blood concentration curves alone are of limited value and give less than satisfactory information about CSF distribution spaces and were corrected for albumin disappearance from the blood to other compartments. The transit time in animals with hydrocephalus was much greater than in normals and entry into the intravascular compartment was delayed. Mathematical analysis to the indicator movements appears to offer understanding about CSF compartments and transfer of molecules in different types of hydrocephalus.