Annals of internal medicine
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The spinal tap, or lumbar puncture, has indisputable value; opinions differ, however, on the amount of that value. The procedure has variable utility depending on the clinical indications and the results of tests on the cerebrospinal fluid. ⋯ Because of the potential risk of the spinal tap, decisions about when to do the procedure must be made carefully. A probability analysis is provided to elucidate the usefulness of data from cerebrospinal fluid tests.