Is neck flexion during a cerebrospinal fluid puncture a potentially hazardous maneuver?
BACKGROUND
Cerebrospinal fluid puncture (CSFP) is a diagnostically meaningful procedure. We describe an acute tetraplegia in a patient as complication after CSFP.


METHODS
Cervical myelopathy due to posterior os odontoideum subluxation was diagnosed, and an occipitocervical fusion was performed surgically. No significant improvement of the neurological status was observed within the following 3 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Neck flexion as performed during CSFP is a potentially hazardous maneuver. When patients show inconstant symptoms of craniocervical pathology or signs of cervical myelopathy, an os odontoideum should be suspected.
Department of Radiology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany. alex.surow@medizin.uni-halle.de
Alexey
A
Surov
Christian
C
Kunze
Ulla
U
Lieser
Rolf Peter
RP
Spielmann
Malte
M
Kornhuber
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009333:Neck; D009809:Odontoid Process / Q000293:injuries*; D011187:Posture; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000009:adverse effects*