Objective To explore the diagnostic value of cytologic examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) combined with cell immunochemical staining examination in the patients with meningeal carcinomatosis in the clinical track.Methods CSF was centrifuged and precipitated using the StatSpin Cytofuge 12 centrifuge. It was dyed by the May-Grunwald-Giemsa Staining (MGG) method and cell immunochemical staining (S-P method). Clinical data of 16 cases with the diagnosis of meningeal carcinomatosis were retrospectively analyzed. Results Sixteen patients diagnosed meningeal carcinomatosis prior to imaging findings in 11 of 16 patients were diagnosed meningeal carcinomatosis through the cerebrospinal fluid cytology combined with cell immunochemical staining prior to imaging findings. CSF cytology observed the cancer cell pleomorphism. Cell immunochemical staining examination clearly distinguished classification organic source of meningeal carcinomatosis. Conclusions CSF cytology combined with cell immunochemical staining examination is one of the important means in tracking intracranial metastatic tumor in clinic.