Iatrogenic spinal hematoma as a complication of lumbar puncture: What is the risk and best management plan?

Background: Lumbar puncture (LP) rarely results in complications such as spinal hematomas. However, it remains unclear if certain variables increase likelihood of these events, or if surgical intervention improves outcome.

Methods: In addition to two clinical vignettes, we evaluated the post-1974 literature for cases of spinal hematoma and subsequent intervention.