What is a Lumbar Puncture?
A lumbar puncture (LP) is a minimally invasive procedure to sample the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to diagnose or treat some diseases. CSF surrounds the brain and spine. During an LP, a skinny needle is placed through the back into the space around the spinal cord to drain some of the CSF.
For conditions where the body has too much CSF, an LP can drain off the extra. An LP can also be performed to inject dye around the spine to help doctors make a diagnosis, called a “myelogram.” An LP also allows clinicians to inject medicine to treat some conditions. Your clinician will discuss the specific plan for your care with you.
How is a Lumbar Puncture done?
You will be asked to lie on your side and bring your knees up towards your chest. The skin on your lower back will be cleaned. The skin will be numbed with medicine. A skinny needle will then be passed through the numbed skin into the space around the spine with or without the help of x-rays. Fluid is then removed. If needed, medicine or dye can be injected through the same needle. If dye is injected, you will have a CT or MRI to see the dye in your body. The needle is then removed and a bandage is placed on the skin.
Lumbar Puncture
1. The clinician numbs the skin of the lower back and places a skinny needle into the space around the spine.
2. The clinician collects the fluid around the spine. They may inject dye or medicines.
3. After, they remove the needle and put a bandage over the pinhole in the skin.
What are the risks?
Lumbar puncture/Myelogram is generally a safe procedure when done by a specialist.
1 in 4 people have
back pain
a headache after the procedure. This usually goes away on its own or with a minimally invasive treatment called a “blood patch.”
less than 1 in 100 people develop
infection
bleeding
nerve pain/injury, or double vision.
Death related to lumbar punctures is extremely rare.
What are the alternatives?
Your treatment options depend on your preferences, overall health and unique conditions.
The main alternative is not doing the procedure. This avoids the procedure but your clinicians may not be able to diagnose or treat your health problem without it.