Abstract
Spinal or lumbar puncture (LP) may be used for analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), for regional anaesthesia, for radiological investigation (e.g. myelography) or for intrathecal chemotherapy (e.g. in the management of pain, cancer or spasticity). CSF examination is an important diagnostic tool in neurological practice and this chapter is devoted to the hazards likely to be met under these circumstances. The complications of discography and chemonucleolysis are not addressed.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Baba H, Wada M, Tanaka Y, Imura S, Tomita K (1994) Intraspinal epidermoid after lumbar puncture. Int Orthop 18:116–118
Barton JJ, Sharpe JA (1993) Oscillopsia and horizontal nystagmus with accelerating slow phases following lumbar puncture in the Arnold Chairi malformation. Ann Neurol 33:418–421.
Bergman I, Wald ER, Meyer JD, painter MJ (1983) Epidural abscess and vertebral osteomyelitis following serial lumbar punctures. Pediatrics 72:476–480
Berns DH, Blaser SJ, Modic MT (1989) Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine. Clin Orthop 244:78–100
Blennow K, Wallin A, Hager 0 (1993) Low frequency of post lumbar puncture headache in demented patients. Acta Neurol Scand 88:221–223
Brem S, Hale A, Van Uitert RL, Ruff RL, Reichert WH (1981) A hazard of lumbar puncture resulting in reversible paraplegia. N Engl J Med 304:1020–1021
Dawson BH (1963) Paraplegia due to spinal epidural haematoma. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 26:171–173
Dickson WEC (1944) The cerebrospinal fluid in meningitis. Postgrad Med J 20:69–74
Dripps RD, Vandam LD (1951) Hazards of lumbar puncture. JAMA 147:1118–1121
Duffy GP (1969) Lumbar puncture in the presence of raised intracranial pressure. Br Med J i:407–409
Edelson RN, Chernik NL, Posner JB (1974) Spinal subdural hematoma complicating lumbar puncture:occurrence in thrombocytopenic patients. Arch Neurol 31:143–147
Eng RHK, Seligman SJ (1981) Lumbar puncture induced meningitis. JAMA 245:1456–1459
Feinbloom RI, Halaby FA (1966) Acute pyogenic spondylitis in infancy: a case report to emphasize the potential risk in lumbar puncture. Clin Pediatr 5:683–684
Findlay GFG (1987) Compression and vascular disorders of the spinal cord. In: Miller JD (ed) Northfields surgery of the central nervous system. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, pp 707–759
Fiser DH, Gobr GA, Smith CE, Jackson DC, Walker W (1993) Prevention of hypoxaemia during lumbar puncture in infancy. Pediatr Emerg Care 9:81–83
Frederiks JAM (1992) Spinal puncture complications: complications of diagnostic lumbar puncture, myelography, spinal anaesthesia and intrathecal drug administration. In: Fankel HL (ed) Handbook of clinical neurology, vol 61, Elsevier Science Publishers Amsterdam, pp 147–189
Gower DJ, Baker AL, Bell WO, Ball MR (1987) Contraindications to lumbar puncture as defined by computed cranial tomography. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 50:1071–1074.
Harik SI, Raichle ME, Reis DJ (1971) Spontaneously remitting spinal epidural hematoma in a patient on anticoagulants. N Engl J Med 284:1355–1357
Harper JR, Lorber J, Hillas Smith G (1985) Timing of lumbar puncture in severe childhood meningitis. Br Med J 291:651–652,1123–1124
Hasan D, Vermuelen M, Wijdicks EFM, Hijdra A, Van Gijn J (1989) Management problems in acute hydrocephalus after subarachnoid haemorrhage. Stroke 20:747–753
Hilton-Jones D (1984) What is post lumbar puncture headache and is it avoidable? In: Warlow C, Garfield J (eds) Dilemmas in the management of the neurological patient. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 144–158
Hollis PH, Malis LI, Zappula RA (1986) Neurological deterioration after lumbar puncture block below complete spinal subarachnoid block. J Neurosurg 64:253–56
Kuntz KM, Kokmen E, Stevens JC, Miller P, Offord KP, Ho MM (1992) Post lumbar puncture headaches: experience of 501 consecutive procedures. Neurology 42:1884–1887
Lance JW, Branch GB (1994) Persistent headache after lumbar puncture (letter). Lancet 343:414
Lledo A, Calandre L, Martinez-Menendez B, Perez-Sempere A, Portera-Sanchez A (1994) Acute headache of recent onset and subarachnoid haemorrhage: a prospective study. Headache 34:172–174
Macdonald A, Mendelow AD (1988) Xanthochromia revisited: a re-evaluation of lumbar puncture and CT scanning in the diagnosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 51:342–344
Margolis CZ, Cook CD (1973) The risk of lumbar puncture in pediatric patients with cardiac and/or pulmonary disease. Pediatrics 51:562–564
Masdeu JC, Breuer AC, Schoene WC (1979) Spinal subarachnoid hematoma; clue to source of bleeding in traumatic lumbar puncture. Neurology 29:872–876
Michel O, Brusis T (1992) Hearing loss as a sequel to lumbar puncture. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 101:390–394
Morettin LB, Wilson M (1970) Severe reflex algodystrophy (Sudeck’s atrophy) as a complication of myelography: report of two cases. AJR 110:156–158
Petersdorf RG, Swarner DR, Garcia M (1962) Studies on the pathogenesis of meningitis. II Development of meningitis during pneumococcal bacteremia. J Clin Invest 41:320–327
Rangel L, Glassman F (1945) Acute spinal epidural abscess as a complication of lumbar puncture. J Nerv Ment Dis 102:8–18
Rennick G, Shann F, de Campo J (1993) Cerebral herniation during bacterial meningitis in children Br Med J 306:953–956
Rifaat M, el Shafei I, Samra K (1973) Intramedullary spinal abscess following lumbar puncture: case report. J Neurosurg 38:366–367
Sathi S, Steig PE (1993) “Acquired” Chairi malformation after multiple lumbar punctures: case report. Neurosurgery 32:306–309
Spears DH, Leeman MI, Jassy LJ, Odonnell LA, Reisner LS (1994) The frequency of postdural puncture headache in obstetric patients: a prospective study comparing the 24G needles versus 22G Sprotte needle. J Clin Anesth 6:42–46
Shapiro D, Aaron N, Wald E (1986) Risk factors for the development of bacterial meningitis among children with occult bacteremia. J Pediatr 109:15–19
Sharief MK, Hentges R, Thomas E (1991) Significance of CSF immunoglobulins in monitoring neurological disease activity in Behcets disease. Neurology 41:1398–1401
Silverman R, Kwitatkowski T, Bernstein S et al. (1993) Safety of lumbar puncture in patients with haemophilia. Ann Emerg Med 22:1739–1742
Tabaddor K, Lamorgese JR (1975) Lumbar epidermoid cyst following single lumbar puncture. J Bone Joint Surg 57A:1168–1169
Teele DW, Dashevsky B, Rakkusan T, Klein JO (1981) Meningitis after lumbar puncture in children with bacteremia. N Engl J Med 305:1079–1081
Tourtelotte WW, Haerer AF, Heller GL, Sommers JE (1964) Post lumbar puncture headache. Thomas, Illinois
Trupp M (1977) Stylet injury syndrome. JAMA 237:2524
Vermuelen M, Van Gijn J, Blijenberg BG (1983) Spectrophotometric analysis of CSF after subarachnoid haemorrhage. Limitations in the diagnosis of rebleeding. Neurology 33:112–114
Walton JN (1956) Subarachnoid haemorrhage. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh
Weber RJ, Weingarden SI (1979) Electromyographic abnormalities following myelography. Arch Neurol 36:588–589
Weir B (1994) Headaches from aneurysms. Cephalalgia 14:79–87
Youl BD (1990) Les cephalees après ponction lombaire et leur traitement. Rev Prat Paris 40:414–415
Young DA, Burney RE (1971) Complications of myelography: transection and withdrawal of a nerve filament by the needle. N Engl J Med 285:156–157
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag London Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dick, J.P.R. (1997). Hazards of Spinal/Lumbar Puncture. In: Critchley, E., Eisen, A. (eds) Spinal Cord Disease. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0911-2_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0911-2_6
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-1233-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-0911-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive