Punkce

Punkce is a medical procedure that involves inserting a needle or other puncturing instrument through the skin and body wall to access a body cavity, organ, or space. The term, derived from Latin punctio, is commonly used in Czech and other medical languages to describe puncture techniques performed for diagnostic sampling, drainage, or administration of substances.

Common forms of puncture include diagnostic procedures such as lumbar puncture, which accesses the cerebrospinal fluid; thoracentesis for pleural fluid; paracentesis for ascites; and joint puncture (arthrocentesis) for synovial fluid analysis. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy uses a thin needle to obtain cells from a mass or organ, often with imaging guidance. Other targeted punctures include amniocentesis or biopsy punctures guided by ultrasound, CT, or fluoroscopy. Puncture procedures are frequently performed percutaneously under sterile conditions and local anesthesia, with imaging guidance to improve accuracy and safety.

Indications for puncture include obtaining material for cytology or histology, confirming a diagnosis, evaluating infection or biochemical properties of a fluid, and relieving clinically significant fluid accumulations. Contraindications include coagulopathy that cannot be corrected, infection at the puncture site, and certain anatomic or patient-specific risks.

Risks associated with punkce are generally low but can include infection, bleeding, injury to nearby structures, pain, and, depending on the site, pneumothorax or organ damage. Procedures are performed by trained clinicians under appropriate monitoring and aseptic technique.