i'm sorry you're going through this. certainly a lumbar puncture is nobody's idea of a good time! "white matter brain disease" is not a single diagnosis. actually there are several diseases that affect the white matter of the brain. i suspect your neurologist is trying to determine if you have one of those diseases or not. i'd suggest you discuss your concerns about the lumbar draw with your neurologist. ask him why he feels it's necessary and what he is trying to learn from it. ask him if there are other non-invasive tests that could be done instead. don't be afraid to express your fears or concerns with him or her. you are the patient and you deserve to have all your questions answered. i wish you all the best with this!
what is white matter brain disease. how is white matter brain disease discovered? how is it treated? i am a 58 year old female and have had mri and cat scans. the nuerologist wants to do a lumbar draw for further study and i'm not sure if that is necessary