Spinal epidural abscesses as a complication of spondy- lodiscitis: a retrospective single-center study

Abstract

Objective. To present the clinical course and outcomes of surgical treatment in patients with spinal epidural abscesses. Material and Methods. Sixteen patients (7 males and 9 females) with clinical, neuroimaging and/or histological evidence of spinal epi- dural abscess were treated in 2015 and 2016 at our institution. Results. The mean age of patients was 60.200 ± 10.387 years. The period from disease onset to hospital admission ranged from 15 to 120 days. Upon hospitalization, only 3 patients (18.75 %) were neurologically intact. Seven patients (3.75 %) underwent interlaminotomy at one or more levels or hemilaminectomy. The remaining 9 patients (56.25 %) were treated with laminectomy, and 5 of them with addi- tional posterior pedicle screw fixation. Disability decreased after surgery in 7 patients (43.75 %), and remained unchanged until hospital discharge in 7. Two patients (12.5 %) died. Conclusion. Urgent surgery is the method of choice for patients with spinal epidural abscess. It allows decompression of neural structures, correction of spinal deformity by means of stabilization that aims at rapid mobilization of patients.

Keywords

• spondylodiscitis
• spinal epidural absces
• symptoms
• treatment