====== Lumbar puncture complications ======

[[Lumbar puncture]] is a safe and commonly performed [[procedure]], with an overall [[complication]] [[rate]] of 0.1% to 0.5%.

===== Post lumbar puncture spinal hematoma =====
[[Post lumbar puncture spinal hematoma]]
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Post lumbar puncture headache

Bloody tap.

Dry tap.

Infection.



Dysesthesia.

Post–dural puncture cerebral herniation.
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Under some circumstances, lumbar puncture cannot be performed safely (e.g. a severe bleeding tendency). It is regarded as a safe procedure, but post-dural-puncture headache is common.
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Lapadula et al. report a case of a young man with epilepsy who, after a lumbar puncture performed for research purposes, presented with an intracerebral hematoma and neurological deficits. To the best of our knowledge, post-tap intraparenchymal hematoma is extremely rare and only 1 case has been reported previously. In consideration, all patients undergoing a lumbar puncture should be informed about this possible rare complication, even in the absence of documented hemorrhagic risk factors
((Lapadula G, Caporlingua F, Caporlingua A, Currà A, Fattapposta F, Missori P.
Delayed Intraparenchymal Hematoma Following Diagnostic Lumbar Puncture.
Neurologist. 2015 Oct;20(4):70-3. doi: 10.1097/NRL.0000000000000055. PubMed PMID:
26468872.
)).
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The Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Network [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]] published a case of severe bilateral [[subdural hematoma]]s as a complication of diagnostic [[lumbar puncture]] for possible Alzheimer's disease
((Verslegers L, Schotsmans K, Montagna M, Feyen B, De Jong L, Crols R,
Engelborghs S. Severe bilateral subdural hematomas as a complication of
diagnostic lumbar puncture for possible Alzheimer's disease. Clin Neurol
Neurosurg. 2016 Dec 8;152:95-96. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2016.12.003. [Epub ahead
of print] PubMed PMID: 27978461.
)).