Spinal Epidural Abscess: Result of 39 Patients and Evaluation of Prognostic Factors

Objective: Despite advances in neuroimaging and neurosurgical care, spinal abscess remains a challenging problem with high morbidity rate. So we conducted a retrospective study to define its clinical feature and to evaluate its prognostic factors. Methods: The charts of 39 patients with spinal epidural abscess over a 6-year period (from January 2001 to December 2006) were reviewed and analyzed. Results: The 39 spinal epidural abscess included 22 men and 17 women with a mean age of 58 years. Localized spinal pain, paralysis, fever/chilling were the common manifestations. The most common pathogens were Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but we could not found pathogen in 19 cases. Decreased initial level of consciousness (drowsy-stupor) may predicted a poor prognosis, but no statistic significance. Conclusion: Localized back pain in a febrile patient with significant risk of epidural abscess warrants an immediate evaluation. Good neurological recovery can be obtained despite severe neurologic deficit when treated by early diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention. (J Kor Neurotraumatol Soc 2009;5:68-73)