Risks of lumbar puncture include:

• Allergic reaction to the anesthetic
• Discomfort during the test
• Headache after the test
• Bleeding into the spinal canal
• Infection

Brain herniation may occur if performed on a person with a mass in the brain such as a tumor or abscess. This can result in brain damage or death. For this reason, a lumbar puncture is not done if other tests show signs of a tumor or abscess.

There may be temporary leg discomfort if a nerve root is irritated by the needle. This passes when the needle is withdrawn.

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CSF cell count Prevention

Review Date: 06/24/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)