- With Mayo Clinic neurologist
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Swanson is a board-certified neurologist at Mayo Clinic and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has a special interest in headache disorders and medical education.
Dr. Swanson, a Lacon, Ill., native, was appointed to the Mayo Clinic staff in 1982 and works in the Department of Neurology with about 90 other physicians. He formerly chaired the Headache Division in the Neurology Department at Mayo Clinic and works with headache subspecialists around the world. He has published and lectured widely on headache disorders. He also serves as Assistant Dean for Assessment in Mayo Medical School.
"In a manner similar to the printing press, Internet technology enables the unprecedented ability to communicate with the global community about health information," Dr. Swanson says. "There is no doubt that the knowledgeable individual contributes greatly to his or her own health care, and now we can share information much more widely."
"There is much information already available about health care on the Internet. Unfortunately, much of it is not founded on sound principles. It is exciting to be a part of the MayoClinic.com team and contribute to the creation of a reliable and timely health resource."
Dr. Swanson is the neurology editor for "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and has reviewed articles for "Mayo Clinic Health Letter" and "Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource." He is also editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic on Headache" book, published in 2004. In 2008 the magazine "Women's Health" named him one of America's Top Doctors for Women.
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Question
Lumbar puncture: Why is it performed?
Why is a lumbar puncture performed? What does it tell my doctor?
Answer
from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
A lumbar puncture, also called a spinal tap, removes a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the fluid that protects your brain and spinal cord from injury — for laboratory analysis. The test also measures the pressure in CSF fluid. A lumbar puncture is used to help diagnose:
- Serious infections, such as meningitis and encephalitis
- Bleeding around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage)
- Certain cancers involving the brain and spinal cord
- Certain inflammatory conditions of the nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome
During a lumbar puncture procedure, you typically lie on your side with your knees drawn up to your chest. A local anesthetic is injected in an area over your lower spine to reduce discomfort from the procedure. Then your doctor inserts a needle into your spinal canal, measures the pressure and collects fluid for analysis. The entire procedure usually takes about 45 minutes. Once the procedure is complete, you'll need to lie flat for 20 minutes to one hour.
Lab technicians check for a number of things when examining spinal fluid, including:
- General appearance. Spinal fluid is normally clear and colorless. If it is cloudy, it may indicate infection.
- Protein (total protein and the presence of certain proteins). Elevated levels of protein may indicate infection or other condition.
- White blood cells. Increased numbers of white cells in spinal fluid may indicate infection.
- Sugar (glucose). A low glucose level in spinal fluid may indicate infection or other condition.
- Bacteria and fungi.
- Polymerase chain reaction. This helps identify certain viruses such as meningitis.
