Frequency of unexplained meningeal enhancement in the brain after lumbar puncture.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the hypothesis that lumbar puncture alone may cause meningeal enhancement in the brain.


METHODS
We prospectively reviewed the brain MR examinations of all patients from a 6-month period who were studied within 1 month after lumbar puncture. We also retrospectively reviewed all cases of dural-arachnoidal enhancement in the brain from the preceding 18-month period.


RESULTS
In the prospective group, only one case out of 97 enhanced brain MR examinations after lumbar puncture did not have a clear cause for dural-arachnoidal enhancement. In the retrospective group, only one case out of 11 with enhancement was not clearly explained.


CONCLUSIONS
Dural-arachnoidal enhancement in the brain after lumbar puncture is uncommon, if it occurs at all, and lumbar puncture as a cause of enhancement should be considered a rare diagnosis of exclusion.
Mittl
R L
RL
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
Yousem
D M
DM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001099:Arachnoid / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000473:pathology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008536:Meglumine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000009:adverse effects
D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA