Spinal subarachnoid hematoma after lumbar puncture in a patient with leukemia.: Report of a case and review of the literature

Acute myeloradicular compression due to a spinal subarachnoid hematoma (SSAH) after lumbar puncture (LP) is an extremely rare complication. Several risk factors have been involved in the production of these hematomas mainly the presence of hemostasis disorders in the patient. We report the case of a 20-year-old man with leukemia and thrombocytopenia (26.000 platelets/mm(3)) who, after undergoing a LP, developed paraparesis and became unable to stand. A magnetic resonance disclosed the presence of a ventral intradural hematoma from D12 to L4. An emergency decompressive laminectomy was performed and an hematoma located in the subarachnoid space was partially removed. On the fourth postoperative day, the patient was able to walk without assistance, but one month later, he died because of systemic complications of his disease. Only 26 cases of SSAH after LP have been found in the literature review we have performed. In most of them, the following common features have been observed: association with anticoagulant therapies, association with thrombocytopenia, delayed onset of compressive myeloradicular syndrome, need of surgical treatment, good functional outcome in half of patients, and short life expectancy for patients with previous serious illness. Risk for developing a SSAH after LP could be high in leukemia patients with a tendency to have severe thrombocytopenia (perhaps less than 25.000 platelets/mm(3)).