spinal abscess

Intramedullary spinal cord abscess is a rare neurological condition, not commonly suspected and often misdiagnosed. Even after a prompt diagnosis and treatment, most patients persist with permanent neurological deficits. In adults, factors such as immunocompromised, intravenous drug use, endocarditis, and sepsis could be associated with its development. In this study, we present the case of a 63-year-old male patient who developed a chronic cervical intramedullary spinal cord abscess after being treated for multiple abscesses in the paravertebral and psoas muscles...

BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare condition that may result in catastrophic outcomes. On the other hand, calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) deposition disease (CPPD) causes inflammatory arthritis. Spinal involvement of a crystal-induced inflammation caused by CPPD is also common. Surgery is a common risk factor for both SEA and CPPD; however, the postoperative acute onset of SEA complicated with CPPD is extremely rare. CASE DESCRIPTION: A man in his 70s presented to our hospital, complaining of right upper limb weakness, loss of dexterity, and gait disturbance...

PURPOSE: To determine whether sampling of the disc or bone is more likely to yield positive tissue culture results in patients with vertebral discitis and osteomyelitis (VDO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review was performed of consecutive patients who underwent vertebral disc or vertebral body biopsy at a single institution between February 2019 and May 2023. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, presumed VDO on spinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, absence of paraspinal abscess, and technically successful percutaneous biopsy with fluoroscopic guidance...

Background  Spinal epidural abscess is a rare but serious condition that can cause spinal cord compression and neurological deficits. Case Description and Methods  The article reports a case of a 31-year-old patient who presented with an infectious cellulitis in the left hand, which progressed to a spinal epidural abscess. The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment involved laminectomy, after which the patient had complete recovery of neurological deficits...

Spinal abscesses are normally confined to the epidural space. Due to the anatomical seclusion of the intradural space, it is rare for the infection to spread to the area or for the cause to be idiopathic, iatrogenic in nature, or due to another phenomenon. We report a case of a 45-year-old male who was found to have a rare intradural spinal abscess two days post-laminectomy for severe central canal stenosis.

Spinal tuberculosis is a common extrapulmonary type that is often secondary to pulmonary or systemic infections. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection often leads to the balance of immune control and bacterial persistence. In this study, 64 patients were enrolled and the clinicopathological and immunological characteristics of different age groups were analyzed. Anatomically, spinal tuberculosis in each group mostly occurred in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Imaging before preoperative anti-tuberculosis therapy showed that the proportion of abscesses in the older group was significantly lower than that in the younger and middle-aged groups...

Pyogenic spinal infections (PSI) have an incidence of 0.5-2.2 cases per 100,000 population, though diagnosis can be delayed by up to three months. The incidence of Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteremia is rare, occurring in 0.22-0.34 cases per 100,000 population, whilst its implication in spinal infections is rarer still. A man in his 60s with a background of chronic lower back pain presented to the emergency department with a two-week history of worsening back pain associated with fever and difficulty voiding...

Spinal infections are a diverse group of diseases affecting different compartments of the spine with variable clinical and imaging presentations. Diagnosis of spinal infections is based on a combination of clinical features, laboratory markers, and imaging studies. Imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and management of spinal infections. The characteristic imaging manifestations of bacterial and viral infections in the spine are discussed with key teaching points emphasized.

INTRODUCTION: Skull base pathologies in the paediatric population are rare and require treatment by multiple qualified specialists. The endoscopic endonasal approach has revolutionized surgical treatment because it is less invasive than existing treatments.The goal of this study was to retrospectively review our experience with the reconstruction of paediatric skull middle base defects and associated complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analysed medical records from patients aged ≤ 18 years who were treated at our centre between 2013 and 2021...

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium xenopi is a common nontuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) that is slow growing and an infrequent cause of infection. When infections do occur, it is by exposure to contaminated soil or water or to infectious aerosols. Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in the spine are exceedingly rare. Risk factors can include immunosuppression, particularly human immunodeficiency virus; however, other systemic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been reported...

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to (1) compare baseline demographics of patients undergoing surgery for SEA who were/were not readmitted; (2) identify risk factors for 90-day readmissions; and (3) quantify 90-day episode-of-care health care costs. BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA), while rare, occurring ~2.5-5.1/10,000 admissions, may lead to permanent neurologic deficits and mortality. Definitive treatment often involves surgical intervention via decompression...

BACKGROUND: Intramedullary Spinal Cord Abscess (ISCA) is an uncommon infectious disease of the central nervous system. Since its first report in 1830, there have been very few documented cases associated with it. Here, we present a case of ISCA with cerebral abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old male patient presented with head and neck pain, fever, and left limb weakness for 5 days. The diagnosis of ISCA with brain abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae was confirmed through sputum culture, cerebrospinal fluid gene test, pus culture, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as computerized tomography (CT) scan...

Intramedullary spinal cord abscess is a rare and severe infectious disease characterized by devastating neurological deficits. We report a case of cervical intramedullary spinal cord abscess in a 74-year-old diabetic male with a 3-day history of neck pain and weakness in the right lower extremity. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a ring-shaped contrast lesion in C3-C6 of the cervical spinal cord with extensive edema. Further, 1 day after admission, he became comatose (Glasgow Coma Scale E1VtM1), and a computed tomography head scan revealed hydrocephalus...

INTRODUCTION: There are currently limited data regarding the clinical and economic significance of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) and bone and joint infections in Australian people who inject drugs (PWID). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study in adult PWID admitted to Monash Health, a large heath care network with six hospitals in Victoria, Australia. Inpatients were identified using administrative datasets and International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) coding for specific infection-related conditions...

BACKGROUND: Septic arthritis of the spinal facet joints is increasingly recognized in the era of magnetic resonance imaging, but its epidemiology, clinical features, management, and prognosis are ill-defined. METHODS: We review 101 previously published cases and report 16 cases occurring at our institutions between 2006 and 2018. RESULTS: Most patients presented with fever (60%) and back or neck pain (86%). Radiation into the hip, buttock, or limb was present in 34%...

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed forms of cancer, and it is associated with several common symptoms and signs such as rectal bleeding, altered bowel habits, abdominal pain, anemia, and unintentional weight loss. Sciatica, a debilitating condition in which the patient experiences paresthesia and pain in the dermatome of associated lumbosacral nerve roots or sciatic nerve distribution, is not considered one of these. Here we present a case of colorectal cancer manifesting symptoms of sciatica alone...

Spinal infection caused by Parvimonas micra ( P. micra ) is a rare infection. The characteristic imageology includes spondylodiscitis, spondylitis, paravertebral abscess, and epidural abscess. One case of spondylodiscitis of lumbar complicated with spinal epidural abscess caused by P. micra was admitted to the Department of Spinal Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University on February, 2023. This case is a 60 years old man with lower back pain and left lower limb numbness. MRI showed spondylitis, spondylodiscitis, and epidural abscess...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of metastatic complications in Gram-negative bloodstream infection (GN-BSI) remains undefined. This retrospective cohort study examines the incidence and predictors of complications within 90 days of GN-BSI. METHODS: Patients with GN-BSIs hospitalized at two Prisma Health-Midlands hospitals in Columbia, South Carolina, USA from 1 January 2012 through 30 June 2015 were included. Complications of GN-BSI included endocarditis, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, spinal infections, deep-seated abscesses, and recurrent GN-BSI...

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INTRODUCTION: Pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is characterized by resistance to either a fluoroquinolone (FQ) or a second-line injectable but not both. The urgent need for prompt diagnosis and targeted treatment is emphasized. This report aims to spotlight a case of spinal TB with insufficient assessment, resulting in delayed definitive treatment and an oversight contributing to heightened morbidity. CASE REPORT: An 18-year-old female who was initially diagnosed to have multidrug-resistant TB leading to a 2-year treatment which eventually resulted in multifocal involvement of the spine revealing TB relapse with FQ resistance, categorized as pre-extensively drug-resistant TB...