What does No fluid in spinal cord during lumbar puncture indicate?

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows through the ventricles of the brain and around the spinal cord. It bathes and cushions the brain and spinal cord, removes waste products and provides buoyancy. A lumbar puncture can indicate several health issues like subarachnoid hemorrhage, meningitis, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. The absence of CSF during a lumbar puncture may indicate:

• Spinal cord tumor which results in an obstruction

• Adhesive arachnoiditis, which is the inflammation or scarring of the protective membrane in the brain and spinal cord

• Cauda Equina Syndrome where severe back pain causes nerve damage, resulting in urinary and faecal incontinence and paralysis or numbness affecting the genitals and inner thighs; and in some cases also affecting the feet