lumbar puncture

Objective: Post-dural-puncture headache (PDPH) is the most common side effect associated with a lumbar puncture (LP). The present study aims to evaluate the effect of midazolam on the prevention of PDPH. Methods: This single-blind randomized clinical trial study was performed on 120 patients aged 18-60 years who were candidates for diagnostic LP in 2017-2018. In the intervention group (n=30), 3 mg of midazolam was injected intravenously for two minutes 5-10 minutes before LP, and the control group received normal saline as placebo. Patients in both groups were evaluated and compared with each other in terms of incidence, onset, severity, and duration of PDPH. Results: The incidence of PDPH was lower in the midazolam group, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). Mean severity, onset time, and duration of PDPH were not significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05). All patients in the intervention group and 75% of patients in the control group with PDPH had a history of headache. There was no significant difference between gender, mean age, BMI, pressure and CSF volume in patients with PDPH (P>0.05). The mean age of patients with PDPH was significantly lower in both groups, and the percentage of women with PDPH was considerably higher than that of men (P<0.05). Conclusion: Although there was no significant difference between the parameters studied in the two groups, patients with less age, history of headache, lower CSF pressure, and female gender were more likely to develop PDPH.

Cerebrospinal fluid collection by lumbar puncture (LP) is performed in the diagnostic workup of several neurological brain diseases. Reluctance to perform the procedure is among others due to a lack of standards and guidelines to minimize the risk of complications, such as post-LP headache or back pain. We provide consensus guidelines for the LP procedure to minimize the risk of complications. The recommendations are based on (1) data from a large multicenter LP feasibility study (evidence level II-2), (2) systematic literature review on LP needle characteristics and post-LP complications (evidence level II-2), (3) discussion of best practice within the Joint Programme Neurodegenerative Disease Research Biomarkers for Alzheimer&#39;s disease and Parkinson&#39;s Disease and Biomarkers for Multiple Sclerosis consortia (evidence level III). Our consensus guidelines address contraindications, as well as patient-related and procedure-related risk factors that can influence the developmen...

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is an increasingly recognized cause of new-onset, daily, persistent headaches. Although these headaches are similar to post-lumbar puncture headaches, characteristic differences include intracranial pachymeningeal enhancement, subdural fluid collections, and downward displacement of the brain. The identification of upper cervical epidural fluid collections as a false localizing sign in patients with SIH has provided significant insight into the selection of management options. We review a case of a 57-year-old woman who presented to our institution with progressive orthostatic headaches relieved by recumbency. The patient had no recent history of lumbar puncture, spinal, or intracranial procedure. The patient isolated the onset of symptoms to 3 weeks prior, when she was lifting heavy items in her home, and was diagnosed with SIH. Subsequently, she was found to have a C1-C2 epidural fluid collection. After much diagnostic consideration and review ...

Local anesthesia decreases physiologic responses to pain in neonates but has not been used routinely during lumbar punctures in newborns, as it might obscure anatomical landmarks. However, local anesthesia may decrease newborns&#39; struggling during lumbar puncture, thus facilitating the procedure and increasing its success rate. The success rate of lumbar punctures was compared in neonates allocated prospectively to 0.2 to 0.5 mL of 1% lidocaine anesthesia (n = 48) or a control group (n = 52). Newborns were held in a modified lateral recumbent postion (neck not flexed) and their struggling response to the various steps in the lumbar puncture was scored by the holder. The newborns&#39; struggling motion score increased in response to lidocaine injection, but response to the subsequent spinal needle insertion was significantly decreased. Despite this decreased motion, no differences were noted in the number of attempts per lumbar puncture (1.9 ± 0.2 [SEM] in lidocaine and 2.1 ± 0.2 ...

Previous studies have reported elevated concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in patients with major depression. Elevations of CSF CRF have also been reported in adult laboratory animals exposed to the stress of brief maternal deprivation or maternal neglect in the neonatal or preweaning period. The present study was designed to determine whether major depression and a history

Cerebrospinal fluid drainage is often indicated in patients with acute hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage but is believed to increase the risk of rebleeding. We studied the risk of rebleeding in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage during treatment for acute hydrocephalus. We included patients with hydrocephalus treated with external ventricular drainage or lumbar punctures within 4 days after the hemorrhage and before aneurysm occlusion. Each treated patient was matched with a control patient with untreated hydrocephalus and a control patient without ventricular enlargement. Patients and controls were matched for interval since subarachnoid hemorrhage, duration of exposure, use of tranexamic acid, clinical condition on admission, and age. We used Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios and we adjusted for rebleeding that had occurred before starting the cerebrospinal fluid drainage. In the group treated with external ventricular drainage, rebleeding occurred ...

Lumbar puncture (LP) is increasingly performed in memory clinics. We investigated patient-acceptance of LP, incidence of and risk factors for post-LP complications in memory clinic populations. We prospectively enrolled 3868 patients (50% women, age 66 ± 11 years, mini mental state examination 25 ± 5) at 23 memory clinics. We used logistic regression analysis using generalized estimated equations to investigate risk factors for post-LP complications, such as typical postlumbar puncture headache (PLPH) and back pain. A total of 1065 patients (31%) reported post-LP complaints; 589 patients (17%) reported back pain, 649 (19%) headache, of which 296 (9%) reported typical PLPH. Only few patients needed medical intervention: 11 (0.3%) received a blood patch, 23 (0.7%) were hospitalized. The most important risk factor for PLPH was medical history of headache. An atraumatic needle and age &gt;65 years were preventive. Gender, rest after LP, or volume of cerebrospinal fluid had no effect. Th...

Force feedback devices for use in virtual reality have been the design, which enable the user to interact with the virtual environment in real-time. We have developed a virtual environment for lumbar puncture, a widely used medical technique involving the insertion of a 3 inch long needle in the spinal region of a patient involving real-time 3D display of the

Background and Importance: Spinal Subdural Hematoma (SSH) is a rare condition with an unknown incidence in the general population. Iatrogenic spinal subdural hematoma radiologically mimicking a prolapsed dorsolumbar disc has not been published in the literature. Case Presentation: A 65-year-old female presented with altered sensorium and generalized weakness for 3 days evaluated by a neurologist who diagnosed it as a metabolic encephalopathy with Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone secretion (SIADH) with severe anemia and hypothyroidism. She underwent a diagnostic lumbar puncture and following which, within 24 hours, she developed weakness of both the lower limbs. MRI of dorsolumbar spine was done which revealed D12-L1 extruded disc causing severe compression to the conus medullaris with D12-L2 subarachnoid lesion and cord edema. On opening the dura, a large organized hematoma on the anterior aspect of the conus was seen and evacuated. Conclusion: Spinal subdural hematoma presents with a spectrum of signs and symptoms. Although MRI is the investigation of choice but SSH presenting like a prolapsed intervertebral disc on MRI is one of its kinds and should be kept in mind since it carries a grave prognosis if not treated early with emergency decompression.

The pathophysiology of cluster headache (CH) is only partly understood. Nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator, has been suggested to be involved, and increased plasma levels of nitrite, a stable product on NO degradation, have been identified in the active period and in remission. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of NO in CH by measuring its oxidation products, nitrite and nitrate, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a biological compartment closer to the supposed focus of the disorder. We collected CSF from 14 episodic CH patients. Lumbar puncture (LP) was performed at two occasions: in active period between headache attacks, and in remission, not earlier than three weeks after the last CH attack. Eleven healthy volunteers served as controls. To estimate NO production, we determined the levels of NO-oxidation end products (NOx), that is, the sum of nitrite and nitrate, by using capillary electrophoresis. CH patients in the active period had significantly increased N...

METHODS Forty one patients presenting with histories suspicious of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) were investigated with MRI using T1 weighted, T2 weighted, single shot fast spin echo (express), fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR), and gradient echo T2* sequences, ...

Cerebral edema resulting in elevated intracranial pressure is a well-known complication of galactosemia. Lumbar puncture was performed for the diagnosis of clinically suspected bacterial meningitis. Herniation of cerebral tissue through the foramen magnum ...

Abnormal fat deposition in the epidural space or spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) due to corticosteroid treatment or obesity may cause obstruction to cerebrospinal fluid flow. Little is known about SEL in patients with hematologic malignancies who require frequent lumbar punctures and corticosteroid treatment that places them at risk. Records and radiologic images of patients with SEL and leukemia or non-Hodgkin