Cervical and Thoracolumbar Epidural Abscess - A Case Report -

Choong-Hyeok Choi; Hyoung-Jin Kim; Hyun-Joo Pai; Ye-Soo Park

doi:10.4184/jkss.2007.14.2.105

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Choi, Kim, Pai, and Park: Cervical and Thoracolumbar Epidural Abscess - A Case Report -

Case Report

Journal of Korean Spine Surg 2007;14(2):105-109.

Published online: 21 February 2007

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4184/jkss.2007.14.2.105

Cervical and Thoracolumbar Epidural Abscess - A Case Report -

Choong-Hyeok Choi, M.D.^#, Hyoung-Jin Kim, M.D., Hyun-Joo Pai, M.D.^$, Ye-Soo Park, M.D.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Guri Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine

^#Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hanyang University College of Medicine

^$Devision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine

Address reprint requests to Ye-Soo Park, M.D. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Guri Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine 249-1 Kyomoon-dong, Guri-city, Kyunggi-do, Korea Tel: 82-31-560-2316, Fax: 82-31-557-8781, E-mail: hyparkys@hanyang.ac.kr

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Epidural abscess is a rare disease that can cause severe neurological complications or death if it is not recognized and treated early. Authors report a case of panspinal epidural abscess, which is diagnosed by MRI and treated with surgical drainage and antibiotics.

Keywords: Epidural abscess

REFERENCES

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Fig. 1.

Peripheral enhanced epidural fluid collection can be seen in lumbar epidural space on T2 weighted sagittal image and gadolinium-enhanced sagittal image.

Fig. 2.

Intermediated signal epidural abscess in cervical epidural space, which compresses the spinal cord posteriorly can be seen on T2 weighted images.

Fig. 3.

Laminectomy is done and epidural abscess is drainaged by gently inserted nelaton catherter.

Fig. 4.

Severe instability is caused from wide laminectomy.

Fig. 5.

Epidural abscess is disappeared on follow up (postoperative 7 months) cervical, thoracic and lumbar MRI.

Fig. 6.

Follow up (postop. 12 months) L-spine AP and Lateral radiograph reveals firm fixation and no loosening of instrumentation.

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