Indications of a Lumbar Puncture
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Indications of a Lumbar Puncture

A lumbar puncture (LP, also known as a spinal tap) is a diagnostic and at times, therapeutic medical procedure. Diagnostic indications The main diagnostic indications of performing a LP is for collection and evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for diagnosis and exclusion of infectious, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases affecting the central nervous system. For example,…

Performing the Lumbar Puncture (Part 2)
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Performing the Lumbar Puncture (Part 2)

By palpating onto the iliac crest and spinal processes of the back, the site of needle puncture for lumbar puncture (LP) is identified. As the spinal cord ends at the level of L2 in adults, the spinal needle can be inserted safely between the L3/4 or L4/5 levels. The highest point of the iliac crest…

Normal and Abnormal Cerebrospinal Fluid
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Normal and Abnormal Cerebrospinal Fluid

Normal Cerebrospinal Fluid The photos shown here is that of normal cerebrospinal fluid after a lumbar puncture. Normal cerebrospinal fluid is colourlessĀ and odorless. Xanthochromia The cerebrospinal fluid here shows xanthochromia (Figure 1), meaning of yellow discolorization. Presence of xanthrochromia means that there is presence of red cells in the cerebrospinal fluid. With time, the red…