Spinal epidural abscess in the lumbar spine after dental extraction in a 53-year-old man

Spinal epidural abscess is rare in patients following dental extraction. Only seven cases have been described in the literature. We report the first case of an epidural abscess in the lumbar spine following dental extraction, and present a review of the relevant literature. A 53-year-old man presented with low back pain 1 week following dental extraction, and imaging revealed the presence of a lumbar epidural abscess. He underwent surgical drainage by decompressive laminectomy with evacuation of pus and debridement of the infected bone, and he was treated with a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics. The patient demonstrated no neurologic sequelae at the 6-month follow-up examination. A search of the relevant literature showed that, of the seven epidural abscesses that occurred following dental extractions, five were cervical and two were intracranial. An epidural abscess in the lumbar spine following dental extraction had not been reported. Thus, this is the first report of an epidural abscess in the lumbar spine following dental extraction. It is also the first case of epidural abscess following dental extraction that was determined to be caused by Streptococcus suis. Our findings indicate that epidural abscess must be considered as a diagnosis for all patients presenting with intractable low back pain, with or without fever and neurologic impairment, after a recent dental extraction. We conclude that appropriate imaging must be conducted for early diagnosis.     

Extensive epidural abscess with surgical treatment and long term follow up.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Spinal epidural abscess is an uncommon infection. There are few reports on extensive epidural abscesses. PURPOSE: We report a case of an epidural abscess extending from C2 to the sacrum, with a long-term follow-up. STUDY DESIGN: A case report of an extensive epidural abscess with surgical treatment. METHODS: A 36-year-old male patient presented with a history of 15 days of fever and severe lumbar and neck pain. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed an epidural abscess extending from C2 to the sacrum. Limited laminectomies were performed in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, and pus was obtained. A peptostreptococus grew in cultures. The patient received 6 weeks of antibiotics. RESULTS: The infection was successfully treated, and no neurological deficit was observed. The patient continued asymptomatic 5 years after surgery, and no deformity has developed. CONCLUSIONS: A case of an extensive epidural abscess was successfully treated with limited laminectomies and antibiotics. This less invasive technique could treat the infection, and no late deformity has been observed.     

Lumbar epidural abscess causing septic shock: case report

 This case report describes a lumbar epidural abscess that caused septic shock. A 48-year-old woman who developed a high temperature was diagnosed as having a respiratory tract infection. She became unconscious the next day and was transferred to the intensive care unit for monitoring and treatment. She complained of increasing lower back pain as consciousness improved. Magnetic resonance images of the lumbar spine showed an abscess shadow between the vertebral body and dura mater at the level of L3–S1. Surgical drainage of the epidural abscess was performed as an emergency procedure, and the patient recovered immediately. The primary source of the epidural abscess was probably the respiratory tract infection, which spread to the epidural space through hematogenous dissemination. The initial treatment of the epidural abscess was rest and antibiotics, but surgical treatment was needed to save the patient because of septic shock. Received: March 1, 2002 / Accepted: September 9, 2002 Offprint requests to: T. Yayama     

Cauda equina syndrome secondary to lumbar spondylodiscitis caused by Streptococcus milleri

A 79-year-old Afro-Caribbean woman presented with a 5-month history of low back pain and a 2-month history of weakness of the lower limbs associated with cauda equina syndrome. A plain X-ray of the lumbar spine showed a collapse of the L4 body consistent with osteomyelitis. An MRI scan of the lumbar spine showed narrowing of the L3/4 disc space, destruction of the adjacent vertebral bodies and an epidural abscess. She was admitted to hospital and treated with a high dose of IV antibiotics followed by radical surgical excision of the lesion through a combined anterior and posterior approach with instrumentation. Tissue culture grew Streptococcus milleri. One week after surgery the patient developed septicaemia. A blood culture grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was successfully treated with antibiotics. She eventually recovered bowel and bladder control and regained muscle power in the lower limbs. Streptococcus milleri is a rare causative organism in osteomyelitis, this being only the eighth reported case in the literature. Aggressive surgical treatment combined with a prolonged antibiotic regime is recommended to achieve a satisfactory result.     

Spinal epidural abscess: an unusual cause of sciatica

Summary A previously healthy patient was admitted to our hospital because of low back pain and sciatica. For 4 weeks preceding the admission, he had been treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory analgetics and bed rest with a clinical diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation. On admission, the patient was subfebrile but developed general symptoms of septic infection by the next day. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed a spinal epidural abscess and spondylodiscitis at the L5-S1 level. During an emergency laminotomy, gross pus in abundance was evacuated from the epidural space; microbiological cultures from the pus and blood yielded Staphylococcus aureus. The unique clinical presentation of our patient combined with merely indolent symptoms of infection delayed the correct diagnosis. We are not aware of any similar reports of patients with lower spinal epidural abscess whose primary presentation was sciatic pain.     

Hematogenous pyogenic spinal infections and their surgical management

STUDY DESIGN: Mainly a retrospective study of 101 cases of pyogenic spinal infection, excluding postoperative infections. Data were obtained through medical record review, imaging examination, and patient follow-up evaluation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Hematogenous pyogenic spinal infection has been described variously as spondylodiscitis, discitis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and epidural abscess. Recommended treatment options have included conservative methods (antibiotics and bracing) and surgical intervention. However, a comprehensive classification that would aid in diagnosis, treatment planning, and prognosis has not yet been devised. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the bacteriology, pathologic entities, complications, and results of treatment options for pyogenic spinal infection. METHOD: All patients received plain radiographs, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scans, and bone/gallium radionuclide studies. All patients had tissue biopsies. Bacteriology, hematology, and predisposing factors were analyzed. All patients received intravenous and oral antibiotics. A total of 58 patients underwent surgery. Patient outcomes were correlated with clinical status, with treatment method and, where applicable, with location and nature of epidural compression. Statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: Spondylodiscitis occurred most commonly with primary epidural abscess, spondylitis, discitis, and pyogenic facet arthropathy, all occurring rarely. Staphylococcus aureus was the main organism. Infection elsewhere was the most common predisposing factor. Leukocyte counts were elevated in 42.6% of spondylodiscitis cases. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated in all cases of epidural abscess. There were 35 cases of epidural abscess (frank abscess, 29; granulation tissue, 6). Epidural abscess complicating spondylodiscitis occurred most often in the cervical spine, followed by thoracic and lumbar areas. The rate of paraplegia or paraparesis also was highest in cervical and thoracic regions. There were no cases of quadriplegia. All patients with either epidural granulation tissue or paraparesis recovered completely after surgical decompression. Only 18% of patients with frank epidural abscess and 23% of patients with paralysis recovered completely after surgical decompression. Patients with spondylodiscitis who were treated nonsurgically reported residual back pain more often (64%) than patients treated surgically (26.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Pyogenic spinal infection can be thought of as a spectrum of disease comprising spondylitis, discitis, spondylodiscitis, pyogenic facet arthropathy, and epidural abscess. Spondylodiscitis is more prone to develop epidural abscesses in the cervical spine (90%) than the thoracic (33.3%) or lumbar (23.6%) areas. Thecal sac neurocompression has a greater chance of causing neurologic deficit in the thoracic spine (81.8%). Treatment of neurologic deficit caused by epidural abscess is prompt surgical decompression, with or without fusion. Patients with frank abscess had less favorable outcomes than those with granulation tissue, and paraplegia responded to treatment more poorly than paraparesis. Surgery was preferable to nonsurgical treatment for improving back pain.     

Epiduraler Abszeß nach lumbalem Epiduralkatheter zur Mobilisation des Kniegelenks

We report on a case of a lumbar epidural abscess with staphylococcus aureus following a catheter epidural anaesthesia in a previously healthy and not immunosuppressed 34-year-old female. The indication for the epidural anaesthesia was mobilization of the right knee following arthrotomy due to chronic synovitis. On postoperative day 7 the patient experienced lumbar pain, headache and meningism. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an epidural abscess at the height of the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae. A right-sided intralaminar fenestration with debridement and drainage of the abscess was carried out immediately after confirmation of the diagnosis. The patient was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 21 without any neurological sequelae. This is another addition to the published cases of epidural abscess following a epidural technique. It underlines the need for a proper aseptic technique, to abandon frequent changes of bacterial filters, daily examination of the entry site of the catheter and strategies for close and continuous monitoring of patients following epidural anaesthesia.     

Neisseria gonorrhoeae paravertebral abscess

The authors present the case of an isolated gonococcal paravertebral abscess with an epidural component in a 42-year-old man. A primary epidural abscess of the spine is a rare condition and is most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. In this report, the authors present their therapeutic decisions and review the relevant literature on disseminated gonococcal infection in a patient presenting with an epidural abscess. A 42-year-old Indonesian man was admitted with symptoms of neck and upper back pain and bilateral lower-limb weakness. Clinical examination was unremarkable apart from tenderness over the lower cervical spine. Postgadolinium T1-weighted MRI of the cervical and thoracic spine demonstrated an enhancing lesion in the right paraspinal and epidural soft tissue at C-6 to T1-2, in keeping with a spinal epidural abscess. The patient underwent laminectomy of C-7 and T-1 with abscess drainage. Tissue cultures subsequently grew Neisseria gonorrhoeae that was resistant to quinolones by genotyping. Upon further questioning, the patient admitted to unprotected sexual intercourse with commercial sex workers. Further investigations showed that he was negative for other sexually transmitted infections. Postoperatively, he received a course of beta-lactam antibiotics with good recovery. Clinicians should be aware of this unusual disseminated gonococcal infection manifested in any patient with the relevant risk factors.     

Acute neurologic deterioration following lumbar puncture in an epidural abscess occurring 14 months after epidural catheter placement

We report the case of a 19-year-old girl admitted to the hospital with a 2-month history of back pain and a 1-week history of severe weakness, who underwent a diagnostic lumbar puncture which was swiftly followed by acute neurologic deterioration requiring ventilation. She was subsequently shown to have an epidural abscess extending from the second cervical to the fifth lumbar vertebrae. She had received uneventful epidural analgesia for childbirth 14 months previously. The case is unusual in both the acute deterioration following lumbar puncture, and also in the length of time from epidural siting to abscess formation, if this were indeed the source of the infection.     

Epidural abscess in a patient with dorsal hyperhidrosis

PURPOSE: To report the management of a patient who developed a lumbar epidural abscess when an epidural catheter was placed three years after a thoracic sympathectomy. The possible contribution of hyperhidrosis is discussed. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 62-yr-old male had compensatory hyperhidrosis in his back after thoracic sympathectomy. The patient, who suffered from thromboangeitis obliterans, underwent lumbar (L2-3) epidural catheterization in order to improve arterial circulation and ameliorate resting pain in his left leg. On the third day after catheterization, the patient complained of a dull pain in his back. Emergency magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 12-mm abscess in the epidural space. On the tenth day after catheterization, laminotomy at the 3-4 lumbar vertebrae and local drainage were performed. A 14-mm abscess was removed from the epidural space. The patient was discharged on day 21 after catheterization without any disability. CONCLUSION: Special precautions against infection may be necessary in patients with hyperhidrosis in the area where continuous epidural catheterization is attempted.     

Treatment strategies and outcome in patients with non-tuberculous spinal epidural abscess--a review of 46 cases.

OBJECTIVES: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare disease and its early detection and appropriate treatment is essential to prevent high morbidity and mortality. There are only few single-institution series who report their experiences with the microsurgical management of SEA and treatment strategies are discussed controversially. Within the last 15 years the authors have treated 46 patients with SEA. This comparatively high number of cases encouraged us to review our experiences with SEA focussing on the clinical presentation, microsurgical management and outcome. METHODS: Clinical charts of 46 cases with a spinal epidural abscess treated between 1990 and 2004 were reviewed. There were 30 men and 16 women, the age ranged between 32 and 86 years (mean: 57 years). The clinical mean follow-up was 8.5 months (range: 2-84). The clinical presentation and severity of neurological deficits were measured by the Frankel grading system on admission and on follow-up visit. RESULTS: The abscess was located in the cervical spine in 8, the thoracic spine in 17 and the lumbar spine in 21 patients. On admission 8 patients were in Frankel grade A, 7 in B, 15 in C, 8 in D and 8 in E. During follow-up 1 patient was in Frankel grade A, 1 in B, 5 in C, 13 in D and 24 in E. 37 patients underwent primary microsurgery with abscess drainage or removal of chronic granulomatous tissue. The clinical symptoms in 4 patients worsened shortly after the operation due to a compression fracture of the vertebral body (n=2) or progress of the abscess (n=2) making re-operation necessary. 9 patients with severe critical illness or without neurological deficits had primarily a CT-guided puncture for assessment of the causative organism. 3 of them needed additional surgical therapy within the hospital stay because of a new neurological deficit. All patients were immobilised and treated with antibiotics for at least 6 weeks. The mortality was 6.5%. As for complications we noted septicaemia (n=5), meningitis (n=1) and a transient malresorptive hydrocephalus (n=1). CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis, microsurgical therapy with appropriate antibiotic therapy and careful observation of patients are the keys to successful management of SEA. The goal of surgical treatment is to isolate the causative organism and to perform a decompression at the site of maximal cord compression in cases of neurological deterioration or severe pain. Instrumentation with primary fixation does not seem to be imperative. In cases of post-operative worsening, a fracture of additionally infected bony elements has to be considered and a stabilisation should be discussed on an individual basis.     

Whole cerebrospinal axis infection after lumbar epidural injection: a case report

Purpose

Lumbar epidural injection is a popular treatment for degenerative lumbar disease. Although post-procedural epidural infection is rare, meningitis and epidural abscess are life-threatening conditions, and need additional medical and surgical intervention. The purpose of this article is to report a patient with fatal whole cerebrospinal axis infection after lumbar epidural injections.

Methods

A 64-year-old female patient presented with septic shock and quadriparesis. In the past, this patient had received lumbar epidural injections several times for degenerative spondylolisthesis at L4-5 in another hospital. The magnetic resonance imaging showed epidural abscess, a compressed dura and spinal cord from C1 to S2, and cerebral meningitis. We performed laminectomies and removal of the abscesses. Her mental status was diminished to a deep, drowsy state after three postoperative weeks. Brain computed tomography scans revealed hydrocephalus. Therefore, ventriculoperitoneal shunting was performed.

Results

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis was cultured from blood samples. The patient’s infection was completely controlled and her mental status improved to alert; however, her quadriparesis remained.

Conclusions

Although lumbar epidural injection is an effective procedure to treat lumbar radicular pain, this procedure can induce fatal complications such as sepsis and epidural abscess.

Level of evidence

5.

     

Extension of lumbar spine infection into osteoarthritic hip through psoas abscess

We present a case of pyogenic lumbar discitis and septic hip arthritis, accompanied by a psoas abscess and pyogenic iliopsoas bursitis, for which the correct diagnosis was delayed. The patho-mechanism was speculated to be initial hematogenous infection in the lumbar spine that spread along the psoas muscle as a psoas abscess and then extended into the hip joint via the iliopsoas bursa. For an early correct diagnosis, clinicians should be aware that the lumbar spine and hip joint regions communicate through the psoas muscle space and iliopsoas bursa, making it possible for infection to spread.     

Paraplegia caused by spinal infection after acupuncture

STUDY DESIGN: Case report of a 64-year-old man with psoas abscesses, epidural abscess and spondylitis after acupuncture. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of paraplegia caused by spinal infection after acupuncture. SETTING: Seoul, Korea. CASE REPORT: A 64-year-old man came to an emergency room because of severe back pain. At 3 days prior to visit, the patient received acupuncture therapy to the low back with a needle about 10 cm in length because of back pain. Pain was aggravated gradually for 3 days. Escherichia coli sepsis developed with altered mentality during admission. At hospital day 9, he regained his consciousness and was found to have paraplegia. Abdominal computerized tomography (CT) and lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed abscesses of bilateral psoas muscles and spondylitis with epidural abscess. After conservative management with intravenous administration of antibiotics, infection was controlled but the patient remained paraplegic (ASIA scale C L1 level) without neurological recovery. CONCLUSION: Paraplegia might result from complications of an acupuncture therapy.     

Rückenmarknahe Regionalanästhesien bei Bakteriämie

Bacteraemia and septicaemia are generally thought to be relative or absolute contraindications for central neural axis (CNA) blocks. Postulated mechanisms for haematogenous infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by subarachnoid or epidural puncture might be an accidental vessel puncture, a change of pressure in the subarachnoid space, and the induction of a ”locus minoris resistentiae.” Infectious complications of diagnostic lumbar puncture, spinal or epidural anaesthesia are very rare. Although in animals meningitis can be induced by subarachnoid puncture during bactaeremia, there is no study that proves an increased risk for bacteraemic patients. Transient bacteraemia is common, especially in urological and obstetrical-gynecological procedures that are often done in regional anaesthesia, but the incidence of infectious complications is low. This review investigates the few published cases in which a haematogenous infection of the CNS may have been caused by regional anaesthesia. Based on current knowledge, bacteraemia cannot be an absolute, but only a relative contraindication for CNA blocks. Antibiotic chemoprophylaxis should be given before the puncture and the patients must be closely followed after the anaesthesia, particularly for the development of spinal epidural abscess. Because of the possibly increased risk of infectious complications, informed consent should be obtained from the patient.     

Spinal epidural abscess with myelitis and meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in a young child

Abstract

Background

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) in children is a rare infectious emergency warranting prompt intervention. Predisposing factors include immunosuppression, spinal procedures, and local site infections such as vertebral osteomyelitis and paraspinal abscess. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common isolate.

Design

Case report and literature review.

Findings

A 2.5-year-old boy with tetraparesis was found to have an SEA in the posterior lumbar epidural space with evidence of meningitis and myelitis on MRI spine in the absence of any local or systemic predisposing factors or spinal procedures. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from the evacuated pus.

Conclusions

Definitive treatment of SEA is a combination of surgical decompression and iv antibiotics. Timely management limits the extent of neurological deficit.     

Lumbar and lumbosacral tuberculous spondylodiscitis in adults. Redefining the indications for surgery

We have reviewed, retrospectively, 66 adult patients who were treated for lumbar or lumbosacral tuberculosis. A total of 45 had a paravertebral or epidural abscess, 24 had clinical instability and 18 presented with a radiculopathy, of which six also had a motor deficit. The diagnosis was usually made on clinical and radiological grounds and they were followed up until there were clinical and radiological signs of full recovery. Conservative treatment with antituberculous drugs was successful in 55 patients (83%). None had persistent instability, radiculopathy or neurological compromise. We feel that tuberculous spondylodiscitis, especially in the lumbar spine, can usually be satisfactorily managed conservatively and that there are few indications for surgical treatment.     

Spinal epidural abscess successfully treated with percutaneous,computed tomography-guided,needle aspiration and parenteral antibiotic therapy: case report and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: We describe a case of a posterior spinal epidural abscess that was successfully treated with percutaneous, computed tomography-guided, needle aspiration and parenteral antibiotic therapy. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 48-year-old man experienced acute pain in the paralumbar region for 1 week, followed by gait disturbance and micturition difficulty. Laboratory studies demonstrated leukocytosis and hyperglycemia. Blood cultures yielded Staphylococcus aureus. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of the thoracolumbar spine revealed a posterior spinal epidural abscess located between L2 and the lower cervical spine. INTERVENTION: The patient's low back pain persisted despite 10 days of antibiotic therapy. Therefore, percutaneous, computed tomography-guided, needle aspiration was performed. The low back pain was relieved dramatically and immediately after the procedure. The spinal epidural abscess completely resolved after 6 weeks of antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSION: Surgical decompression and antibiotic therapy are the treatments of choice for patients with spinal epidural abscesses. Selected patients may be treated nonsurgically. Rarely, percutaneous drainage of the abscess has been reported to be helpful. Our case suggests that percutaneous, computed tomography-guided, needle aspiration might be a rational alternative to surgical decompression for treatment of spinal epidural abscesses.     

Extended posture of lumbar spine precipitating cauda equina compression arising from a postoperative epidural clot

We report a patient with nonoperatively treated acute cauda equina compression arising from an epidural clot that developed after decompressive surgery for lumbar canal stenosis. A 43-year-old woman underwent lumbar laminotomy, and was symptom-free for 3 hours; but this was followed by paresis. Postoperative myelography showed obstruction of the contrast column at the level of the laminotomy; this was relieved by hyperflexion of the lumbar spine. With sustained hyperflexion of the lumbar spine, all neurologic deficits were completely resolved within 5 days. Lumbar lordosis may be present when a patient lies in the supine position on a flat bed with the hips and knees extended; this may exacerbate dural constriction caused by an epidural clot following posterior lumbar spinal surgery. Received: February 23, 2000 / Accepted: August 15, 2000     

Successful percutaneous drainage of epidural abscess with a 4Fr sheath and pig-tail catheter

A 61-year-old woman was transfered to our emergency center because of epidural abcess with neurological deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed high intensity (T 2 WI) abscess in the epidural space from 5 th cervical to 3 rd thoracic spine level. Surgical drainage was interfered with her poor general conditions. Instead of surgical approach, we inserted a 4 Fr pig-tail catheter into the epidural space with a loss of resistance method, then made a continuous drainage of the abscess. Her neurological state improved after the procedure. Diminished epidural abscess was found on the MRI after the drainage. We demonstrated successfully treated epidural abscess by percutaneous drainage with a 4 Fr short sheath and pig-tail catheter.