Lumbar puncture

A medical procedure that inserts a needle into the lower back to collect cerebrospinal fluid, measure its pressure, or administer medication.

Cerebrospinal fluid: Clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, cushioning them and supporting nervous-system function. This is the fluid sampled or measured during the procedure.
Meningitis: Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, commonly caused by infection. Fluid testing can identify the cause and guide urgent treatment.
Meninges: The three protective membranes—dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater—that surround the brain and spinal cord. The needle passes through meningeal layers to reach the cerebrospinal fluid.
Ventriculostomy: A procedure that creates access to a brain ventricle, often to drain cerebrospinal fluid or monitor pressure. It accesses cerebrospinal fluid from the skull rather than through the lower back.
Lumbar cistern: An enlarged space within the spinal meninges below the end of the spinal cord, containing cerebrospinal fluid and nerve roots. The needle enters this fluid-filled space, usually below the spinal cord’s end.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage: Bleeding into the space between the brain and the surrounding arachnoid membrane. Cerebrospinal fluid testing can help detect bleeding when imaging is inconclusive.
Subarachnoid space: The space between the arachnoid and pia mater that contains cerebrospinal fluid and major blood vessels. This is the anatomical compartment accessed during the procedure.
Epidural anesthesia: An anesthetic technique that places medication outside the dura mater, commonly to relieve pain during childbirth or surgery. Unlike a lumbar puncture, it aims to keep the needle and medication outside the cerebrospinal-fluid space.
Opening pressure: The pressure of cerebrospinal fluid recorded when a spinal needle first accesses the subarachnoid space. Its measurement can reveal abnormal pressure before fluid is collected.
Multiple sclerosis: An immune-mediated disease in which damage to central nervous system myelin disrupts neurological function. Fluid analysis may show oligoclonal bands that support diagnosis in appropriate cases.

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