Spinal cord abscess

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Central nervous system

Vertebrae

Abscess - spinal cord

• fever
• chills
• backache in the lower back
  • often mild
  • progressively worsening
  • typically radiating to hip, leg, or feet
  • may radiate to the shoulder, arm, or hand
• sudden or rapid progression of neurologic symptoms
• loss of movement of an area of the body
• weakness or paralysis
• loss of sensation of an area of the body
• numbness in a specific, limited area (localized)
• loss of bladder or bowel control
  • inability to retain feces (fecal incontinence)
  • unable to keep from leaking urine (urinary incontinence)
• male impotence

An examination often shows localized tenderness over the spine. A neurologic examination may indicate spinal cord compression, with involvement of the lower body (paraplegia) or the entire trunk, arms, and legs (quadriplegia). The extent of neurologic losses corresponds with the location of the lesion on the spine and with the amount of spinal cord compression.

• A CSF examination may be normal or may contain a few white blood cells and slightly elevated protein levels.
• A CT scan or MRI confirm epidural abscess. Dye may be necessary for CT scan to show a clear picture of the abscess.
• A culture of material obtained by surgical drainage of the abscess will determine the specific microorganism(s) responsible for the infection.

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Infectious Diseases, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.