Patients with neurologic dysfunction often require a lumbar puncture (LP) for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. LP-associated complications are uncommon, but can include trauma to local tissues that may result in bleeding. If vascular disruption occurs near or inside the thecal sac at the base of the spinal cord, then the resulting blood clot, or hematoma, can compress spinal nerve roots resulting in cauda equina syndrome. The risk of developing an LP-associated spinal hematoma is particularly increased in persons with a blood-clotting disorder, called coagulopathy, who typically exhibit a worse outcome than their non-coagulopathic counterparts.
For further study on this topic and others related to neuropathology and neuroanatomy, the following books come highly recommended, and a small portion of the proceeds (or any Amazon purchase through these links) help with expenses of hosting this site:
Adventures in Neuropathology 
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