Suboccipital puncture

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Suboccipital Puncture

Suboccipital puncture (pronunciation: sub-oh-SIP-i-tal PUNK-chur) is a medical procedure used to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for diagnostic purposes.

Etymology

The term "suboccipital" is derived from the Latin words "sub" meaning "under" and "occipital" referring to the occipital bone at the base of the skull. "Puncture" comes from the Latin "punctura" meaning a point or prick.

Procedure

The Suboccipital puncture is performed by inserting a needle into the suboccipital region, which is located at the base of the skull, just below the occipital bone. The needle is carefully guided into the cisterna magna, a large reservoir of CSF located between the cerebellum and the medulla oblongata. Once the needle is in place, CSF can be withdrawn for analysis.

Indications

Suboccipital puncture is typically performed when a lumbar puncture is not possible or contraindicated. It can be used to diagnose conditions such as meningitis, encephalitis, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. It can also be used to measure CSF pressure in cases of intracranial hypertension.

Risks and Complications

As with any invasive procedure, there are risks associated with a suboccipital puncture. These include infection, bleeding, and damage to the brainstem or cerebellum. There is also a risk of causing a cerebrospinal fluid leak, which can lead to headaches and other symptoms.

Related Terms

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski