they are looking for autoimmune markers or abnormal proteins in your spinal fluid. also bacterial and infectious diseases, lyme disease and meningitis. also the pressure of your spinal fluid may indicate brain tumors . the color or consistency are also indicators of diseases.

hi there
Autoimmune problems can be dx through blood tests which are going to be a lot cheaper than an LP. I have lupus (autoimmune), and sensorimotor neuropathy, and have regular blood tests to monitor my disease. Personally I would skip the LP and just go for blood tests.

hth

Raglet

when i had a lumbar puncture, i had already had a few years of testing done, blood tests, mri's, emb/ncs, blood flow testing of feet, bone density etc and the lumbar puncture was pretty much the last stop for me for testing.

Have you had a Skin Punch Biopsy?
(not a Sural nerve biopsy).

I have large fiber Neuropathy, small fiber is diagnosised by skin biopsy. I don't have a lot of pain, just when I get cramps in my feet. I get an occasional burning sensation in my thigh but it usually lasts a couple of miniutes then it goes away. It's more mild numbness and weakness, and some odd sensations but not really painful just an uncomfortable feeling. Sometimes my legs don't feel like they are working properly when I am walking, mainly do to my left knee feeling weak. I don't know if it is affecting my circulation. Some morning when I wake up my hands are swollen and feel stiff, my feet are also stiff but do not appear to be swollen like my hands.
I have also notice a very small bump that is firm, which I believe is on a tendon in the top of my left hand because it moves from near my wrist to the center of my hand when I flex my fingers.

Thank you

Is your neuropathy dymelinating or axonal? Mine appears to be more dymelinating with some axonal involvement by the findings on my nerve conductions study. The conduction velocities are slow and my distal latiencies are prolonged. The only CMAP and SNAP that are affected is in my peroneal nerves. My tibal and sural CMAP and SNAP are normal, but they have slowed velocities and prolonged latiencies.

Does lupus show problems in regular blood work?