Epidural abscess in a one-year-old boy after continuous epidural analgesia.
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Spinal epidural abscess due to Actinomyces israelii.
A 31-year-old man had back pain, weight loss, fever, and paraplegia, with radiographic evidence of a left upper lobe lesion and lytic lesions in ribs and vertebral bodies. Gallium uptake was increased over the spine. At surgery we found a paraspinal abscess due to Actinomyces israelii. The patient responded to surgery and penicillin therapy. This is the first report of a case of actinomycotic spinal epidural abscess necessitating emergency surgery since the advent of penicillin.
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[Paravertebral streptococcal myositis complicated by an epidural abscess in a 5-year-old girl].
CASE REPORT: A 5-year-old girl was hospitalised for fever, abdominal and lumbar pain, associated with general impairment state and a whitlow. One of the blood cultures and CSF grew A beta haemolytic Streptococcus, muscular echography and MRI showed paravertebral myositis, which was complicated by an epidural abscess. The outcome was good with medical treatment alone. DISCUSSION: Streptococcal myositis is a rare and severe skeletal muscle infection caused by A beta haemolytic Streptococcus. It is characterized by a muscle necrosis, without abscess formation. It has to be distinguished from pyomyositis, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus, where a muscle abscess occurs, which must be treated by surgical drainage and antibiotics. Prognosis of this infection is poorer than other muscle infections such as pyomyositis, with a high mortality rate. The diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. Practitioners should keep in mind this diagnosis, even if symptoms are non specific, in front of an undetermined infectious syndrome associated with pain, and make an echography or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to confirm the diagnosis.
Administration, Oral↗
Aspergillus flavus epidural abscess and osteomyelitis in a diabetic patient.
A 63-year-old man had a history of diabetes mellitus for more than 10 years and took oral hypoglycemic agents regularly. He visited Taipei Veterans General Hospital with the complaint of progressive weakness in all 4 limbs and neck pain for 6 months. Computed tomography of the cervical spine revealed increased soft tissue density in the epidural space from C2 to C5 with cord compression. Surgical decompression was done and Aspergillus flavus was isolated from the inflammatory tissue. He was initially treated with oral itraconazole 200 mg 3 times per day for 4 days and then twice daily. Later, the treatment regimen was shifted to intravenous amphotericin B 25 mg/d. He died of intraventricular hemorrhage and complicated fungal meningoencephalitis 2 weeks postlaminectomy. This case reminds us that a prolonged history of back pain accompanied with peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients should raise the suspicion of Aspergillus epidural abscess. Prompt aggressive diagnostic testing and management is needed to improve the likelihood of a good outcome of these patients.
Aspergillosis↗
Spinal epidural abscess: evaluation with gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging.
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with gadopentetate dimeglumine was performed in 25 patients with spinal epidural abscess (SEA). Seventeen of 25 patients underwent follow-up MR imaging. The studies were retrospectively reviewed. In 20 patients, diskitis was the primary infectious foci; however, five patients developed diffuse SEA without diskitis. The two most common MR appearances were (a) homogeneous or heterogeneous enhancement of the solid portion of the SEA and (b) thin or thick enhancement around the liquefied collections of pus. Dural enhancement was frequently seen in patients with lengthy vertebral involvement of SEA. Engorgement of the epidural venous plexus or basivertebral veins was occasionally observed. The changes in abscess size noted on follow-up studies correlated well with clinical improvement or deterioration in most patients. Persistent contrast enhancement, however, was frequently noted at the site of diskitis, osteomyelitis, or surgical drainage sites despite clinical improvement. Careful correlation of MR imaging findings with clinical findings and laboratory data is important in predicting prognosis for these patients.
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Tophaceous gout of the lumbar spine mimicking an epidural abscess: MR features.
We present the MR findings in a case of tophaceous gout of the lumbar spine with cauda equina compression, mimicking an epidural abscess. The diagnosis was clinically unsuspected and confirmed at laminectomy. Tophus material in the paraspinal soft tissues appeared intermediate in signal intensity and showed heterogeneous contrast enhancement.
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Nosocomial spondylodiskitis with epidural abscess and CSF fistula cured with quinupristin/dalfopristin and linezolid.
Nosocomial infections after spinal surgery are relatively uncommon but potentially serious. The goal of diagnostic evaluation is to determine the extent of infection and identify the microorganism involved. Neuroimaging provides accurate information on correct topography, localization and propagation of the infection. Microbiological data are able to give aetiological causes. In this patient with severe, chronic polymicrobial spine infection with epidural abscess and CSF fistula due to multidrug-resistant organisms, the cure was achieved with long-term antimicrobial specific therapy with quinupristin-dalfopristin (50 days) and linezolid (100 days) with mild side effects. This positive result was due to combined medical and surgical treatment.
Acetamides↗
Case report of spinal epidural abscess caused by Haemophilus paraphrophilus.
Haemophilus paraphrophilus was recovered in pure culture from purulent material collected at surgery from a patient presenting with a spinal epidural abscess and a severe neurological deficit. This is the first report of such an occurrence.
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Parietal osteomyelitis and epidural abscess: a delayed complication of fetal monitoring.
Infected cephalohematomas are extremely rare. In this report an infant of 14 weeks developed an infected cephalohematoma, osteomyelitis of the parietal bone and an epidural abscess after fetal monitoring with scalp electrodes. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from the purulent aspirate.
Brain Abscess↗
Infection as a cause of spinal cord compression: a review of 36 spinal epidural abscess cases.
A retrospective survey of 36 cases treated in the Department of Neurosurgery, Hacettepe University Hospitals since 1970 was performed. Clinical presentation, aetiology and outcome of this rare disease compared to recently published series. All cases were admitted with signs of neural compression. Clinical and laboratory data suggesting an infectious origin were present only in 4 cases. Radiological investigation including magnetic resonance imaging in 10 patients, were not confirmative for an epidural abscess except for two cases. All cases underwent urgent surgical decompression and tuberculous abscess either in granulation or pus form was found in the majority. Overall mortality rate was 5.8%. Outcome was closely related to the neurological condition on admission rather than the underlying infectious origin. When compared with recently reported series, our cases demonstrated a significant divergence in terms of clinical presentation, pathogenesis and outcome. The most probable reason for this discrepancy is that risk factors for compromised immunity or systemic infection were much less than the other series and mycobacterium tuberculosis is the responsible agent in the majority which has a much more favourable outcome than non-spesific infections.
Adolescent↗
Purulent osteomyelitis of the cervical spine with epidural abscess. Operative treatment by means of dorsal and ventral approach.
The present case concerns an acute purulent osteomyelitis with an epidural abscess, located particularly in the intervertebral foramen between C5 and C6, which led to infection by staphylococci of the adjacent vertebral arches and vertebral bodies. An obstruction of the CSF passage was discovered by myelography at the level between C5 and C6. The bony tissue changed by inflammation was removed as far as possible by laminectomy. After irrigation of the epidural space with antibiotics and after control of the severe inflammation, the vertebral bodies C6 and C7 which were destroyed by the spreading inflammatory granulations, could be removed by a ventral approach 4 weeks later. The defect was filled with spongiosa chips. After immobilisation in a plaster shell and Crutchfield extension for 8 weeks the patient was slowly mobilized. A fusion of the vertebral bodies C5 and C6, C6/C7 and C7/C1 was achieved. A dislocation of the cervical spine did not occur and the patient recovered completely except for a paresis of the right hand. Treatment of this very rare and severe case was only possible by a combined dorsal and ventral procedure on the cervical spine.
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Spinal epidural abscess following blunt pelvic trauma.
A 17-year-old patient with pre-existing grade II spondylolisthesis of L5/S1 sustained a partial disruption of the left sacroiliac joint with haematoma of the iliac muscle after a fall. The haematoma probably led to occlusion of the left ureter, resulting in a urinary tract infection. After initial conservative treatment the patient developed fever and radicular pain of the left leg. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a left-sided epidural abscess at L5/S1, which had probably spread from the infected iliac haematoma along the injured sacroiliac joint. Prompt surgical drainage and antibiotic coverage with cefuroxime and flucloxacillin led to rapid clinical improvement. Staphylococcus aureus was identified as the pathogen. At follow-up 6 months postoperatively all symptoms had resolved, while MRI still revealed residual osseous oedema of the sacroiliac joint. The haematoma of the iliac muscle resolved without surgical intervention.
Accidental Falls↗
Spinal epidural abscess as a complication of duodenolumbar fistula. A case report.
The characteristic delay in diagnosis and treatment of spinal epidural abscess of unusual presentation in a patient with significant comorbidities often results in permanent neurologic deficits. Fortunately, in the case reported here, the patient made a complete recovery. Rapid diagnosis and intervention are essential, because degree of recovery is proportional to the extent of the neurologic deficit present before surgery.
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Epidural abscess in an infant.
We report the case of a 2-year-old infant who developed a staphylococcal septicaemia that subsequently resulted in an epidural abscess and paraparesis. The significance of early diagnosis and the roles of anterior surgery to decompress the spinal cord, debride infection and correct deformity are discussed.
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[A case of spinal epidural abscess in a renal transplant recipient].
A 44-year-old male underwent a cadaveric renal transplantation at the university hospital of Tsukuba on March 3, 1979. On June 11, 1979, he was discharged this hospital. Immunosuppressive therapy with azathioprine and methylprednisolone was done. On November 1, 1979, he developed back pain associated with fever. On November 3, 1979, he was admitted to the university hospital of Tsukuba. Laboratory study revealed leucocytosis. CRP inserum was positive. But pneumonia, urinary tract infection and infectious skin lesion were ruled out by physical, radiological and laboratory examination. On November 16, 1979, he became paraparetic. On the next day, he consulted the neurosurgical unit. Neurological findings were as follows: paraplegia, and hypesthesia and hypalgesia below the level of T4, and bilateral hyperrefrexia of P.T.R. and A.T.R. Lumbar myelogram revealed a complete block at the level T7. On November 17, 1979, a laminectomy from T4 through T7 was performed. The epidural abscess containing yellow pus was found and totally removed. Gram-positive rods were isolated on bacteriologic culture. On the 7th postoperative day, the sensory level dropped to L4 bilaterally and the muscle strength in the lower extremity became fair. About 3 years after operation, he became to be able to walk without cane. Discussion was made about this case together with previously reported cases.
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Congenital cholesteatoma with spontaneous epidural abscess, sinus thrombosis and cutaneous fistula.
A congenital cholesteatoma or epidermoid is a benign mass that causes devastating effects if left untreated. An unusual case with a congenital cholesteatoma located in the mastoid region complicated by epidural abscess, sinus thrombosis, and cutaneous fistula is presented. The patient had normal otologic findings and had no neurologic deficit. A review of the literature found no report of a similar case.
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[A Japanese case of Streptococcus suis meningitis associated with lumbar epidural abscess].
A 47-year-old man working at a meat processing factory was admitted to our hospital after suffering high fever and severe headache for a 2-day period. He was alert and showed no neurological symptoms apart from neck stiffness. The CSF was turbid, with 701/microliter of polymorphnuclear leukocytes, a protein concentration of 218 mg/ml, and a sugar concentration of 33 mg/dl. He was diagnosed as suffering from Streptococcus suis (S. suis) serotype 2 meningitis based on CSF culture. Severe headache and high fever subsided after the treatment with intravenous antibiotics and immunoglobin. He developed, however, severe lumbargo on the third day, which was proven to be caused by the lumbar epidural abscess. Also, on the 8th day he developed hearing loss. These symptoms were treated and ameliorated with the administration of dexamethasone. On the 73rd day, the patient was discharged in good clinical condition, although he still suffered from a decrease in hearing perception. S. suis, found as a commensal in the nasopharynx of swine, is responsible for meningitis in the people who are in close contact with swine or unprocessed pork. S. suis meningitis seems to be the result of a preventable occupational infection. Although most of the patients come from other countries in Asia, our patient is the first documented case occurring in Japan. Those who have an occupational exposure to swine and pork are strongly recommended to use protective gloves. Prevention through public health surveillance is important.
Animals↗
Spinal epidural abscess: presentation and treatment. A report of 21 cases.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the presentation, investigative findings, treatment and outcome in patients with spinal epidural abscess. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study was a retrospective analysis of all patients with this condition presenting to the Neurosurgical Units at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Westmead Hospital, Sydney, during the period September 1984 to September 1987. PATIENTS: There was a total of 21 patients with an age range from 7-87 years (mean 47 years). Eleven cases were acute and ten chronic. The causative organism was Staphylococcus aureus in 15 of the 21 cases, the other organisms involved were Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. INTERVENTIONS: All patients were treated with a combination of surgery (decompression with or without fusion) and prolonged antibiotic administration. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients 11 had a good to excellent outcome while 10 had a poor outcome. CONCLUSION: The main determinant of outcome was the neurological state at presentation emphasising the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
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