[Aseptic meningitis following spinal anesthesia. Report of a case].

Aseptic meningitis after lumbar puncture and spinal anesthesia is a rare but serious complication, whose acute onset and clinical symptoms mimic septic meningitis. A 33 year old woman presented this complication 5 h after an uneventful cesarean section under subarachnoid blockade. Though lumbar puncture revealed pleocytosis with negative Gram stains and cultures, she was treated with antibiotics and made a full recovery. The clinical picture, differential diagnosis and value of early lumbar puncture are discussed. The successful use of midazolam to treat psychomotor agitation in this patient is also reported.