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Chima-Melton C, Pearl M, Scheiner M. Diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess: a case report and literature review. Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2017;3:17013doi: 10.1038/scsandc.2017.13.
Chima-Melton, C., Pearl, M., & Scheiner, M. (2017). Diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess: a case report and literature review. Spinal cord series and cases, 317013. https://doi.org/10.1038/scsandc.2017.13
Chima-Melton, Chidinma, et al. "Diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess: a case report and literature review." Spinal cord series and cases vol. 3 (2017): 17013. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/scsandc.2017.13
Chima-Melton C, Pearl M, Scheiner M. Diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess: a case report and literature review. Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2017 Apr 06;3:17013. doi: 10.1038/scsandc.2017.13. eCollection 2017. PMID: 28435744; PMCID: PMC5382353.
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Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2017 Apr 06;3:17013. doi: 10.1038/scsandc.2017.13. eCollection 2017.

Diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess: a case report and literature review.

Spinal cord series and cases

Chidinma Chima-Melton, Michelle Pearl, Marni Scheiner

Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 28435744 PMCID: PMC5382353 DOI: 10.1038/scsandc.2017.13

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare but serious cause of back pain in the critical care setting. It occurs most commonly in adults in their fifth and sixth decades of life. Risk factors include diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, AIDS or other immunocompromised states, cancer, intravenous drug use, trauma and spinal surgery. The clinical presentation can be non-specific but the classical triad includes back pain, fever and neurological deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice.

CASE PRESENTATION: Here we report a case of SEA in a 63-year-old man with type II diabetes who presented with severe low back pain. He was found to have SEA likely secondary to a hip joint injection. The diagnosis was delayed due an earlier non-gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the spine showing no epidural abscess.

DISCUSSION: This case stresses the need for the definitive diagnostic study, MRI with gadolinium, in patients whose SEA is high on the list of differential diagnoses.

Keywords: Bacterial infection; Central nervous system infections; Diseases of the nervous system; Spinal cord diseases

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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