Epidural Abscess Questions & Answers

1. Sendi P, Bregenzer T, Zimmerli W. Spinal epidural abscess in clinical practice. QJM. 2008 Jan. 101(1):1-12. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

2. Darouiche RO. Spinal epidural abscess. N Engl J Med. 2006 Nov 9. 355(19):2012-20. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

3. Tsiodras S, Falagas ME. Clinical assessment and medical treatment of spine infections. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2006 Mar. 444:38-50. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

4. Grewal S, Hocking G, Wildsmith JA. Epidural abscesses. Br J Anaesth. 2006 Mar. 96(3):292-302. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

5. Kabbara A, Rosenberg SK, Untal C. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus epidural abscess after transforaminal epidural steroid injection. Pain Physician. 2004 Apr. 7(2):269-72. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

6. Hooten WM, Kinney MO, Huntoon MA. Epidural abscess and meningitis after epidural corticosteroid injection. Mayo Clin Proc. 2004 May. 79(5):682-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

7. Vakili M, Crum-Cianflone NF. Spinal Epidural Abscess: A Series of 101 Cases. Am J Med. 2017 Dec. 130 (12):1458-1463. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

8. Tetsuka S, Suzuki T, Ogawa T, Hashimoto R, Kato H. Spinal Epidural Abscess: A Review Highlighting Early Diagnosis and Management. JMA J. 2020 Jan 15. 3 (1):29-40. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

9. Lee CS,Park YJ,Moon JY, Yung-Chul K. A Retrospective Sample Cohort Study Using a Claims Database in South Korea. Anesthesiology. 2021. 134:925-926. [Full Text].

10. Tang HJ, Lin HJ, Liu YC, Li CM. Spinal epidural abscess--experience with 46 patients and evaluation of prognostic factors. J Infect. 2002 Aug. 45(2):76-81. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

11. Reihsaus E, Waldbaur H, Seeling W. Spinal epidural abscess: a meta-analysis of 915 patients. Neurosurg Rev. 2000 Dec. 23(4):175-204; discussion 205. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

12. Tunkel AR. Subdural empyema, epidural abscess, and suppurative intracranial thrombophlebitis. Mandell GL, Bennet JE, Dolin R. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2015. 1177-85.

13. Hlavin ML, Kaminski HJ, Fenstermaker RA, White RJ. Intracranial suppuration: a modern decade of postoperative subdural empyema and epidural abscess. Neurosurgery. 1994 Jun. 34(6):974-80; discussion 980-1. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

14. Shah AA, Yang H, Ogink PT, Schwab JH. Independent predictors of spinal epidural abscess recurrence. Spine J. 2018 Oct. 18 (10):1837-1844. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

15. Bond A, Manian FA. Spinal Epidural Abscess: A Review with Special Emphasis on Earlier Diagnosis. Biomed Res Int. 2016. 2016:1614328. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

16. Gerberding JL, Romero JM, Ferraro MJ. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 34-2008. A 58-year-old woman with neck pain and fever. N Engl J Med. 2008 Oct 30. 359(18):1942-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

17. Chiller TM, Roy M, Nguyen D, Guh A, Malani AN, Latham R. Clinical findings for fungal infections caused by methylprednisolone injections. N Engl J Med. 2013 Oct 24. 369(17):1610-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

18. Papaetis GS, Petridis TA, Karvounaris SA, Demetriou T, Lykoudis S. Bacteroides fragilis Bacteremia Complicated by Spondylodiscitis, Spinal Epidural Abscess, and Sepsis: A Case Report. Am J Case Rep. 2022 Jun 16. 23:e936179. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

19. Lodhi FAK, Shogren SL, Haque N, Ishaq M, Rehman A. Spinal epidural abscess due to Pasteurella multocida infection. IDCases. 2020. 21:e00801. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

20. Ma F, Kang M, Liao YH, Lee GZ, Tang Q, Tang C, et al. Nocardial spinal epidural abscess with lumbar disc herniation: A case report and review of literature. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Dec. 97 (49):e13541. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

21. Shweikeh F, Zyck S, Sweiss F, Sangtani A, Shweikeh M, Issa H, et al. Aspergillus spinal epidural abscess: case presentation and review of the literature. Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2018. 4:19. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

22. Lury K, Smith JK, Castillo M. Imaging of spinal infections. Semin Roentgenol. 2006 Oct. 41(4):363-79. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

23. An HS, Seldomridge JA. Spinal infections: diagnostic tests and imaging studies. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2006 Mar. 444:27-33. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

24. Siddiq F, Chowfin A, Tight R, Sahmoun AE, Smego RA Jr. Medical vs surgical management of spinal epidural abscess. Arch Intern Med. 2004 Dec 13-27. 164(22):2409-12. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

25. Sorensen P. Spinal epidural abscesses: conservative treatment for selected subgroups of patients. Br J Neurosurg. 2003 Dec. 17(6):513-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

26. Avilucea FR, Patel AA. Epidural infection: Is it really an abscess?. Surg Neurol Int. 2012. 3(Suppl 5):S370-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

27. Curry WT Jr, Hoh BL, Amin-Hanjani S, Eskandar EN. Spinal epidural abscess: clinical presentation, management, and outcome. Surg Neurol. 2005 Apr. 63(4):364-71; discussion 371. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

28. Pereira CE, Lynch JC. Spinal epidural abscess: an analysis of 24 cases. Surg Neurol. 2005. 63 Suppl 1:S26-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

29. Chen WC, Wang JL, Wang JT, Chen YC, Chang SC. Spinal epidural abscess due to Staphylococcus aureus: clinical manifestations and outcomes. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2008 Jun. 41(3):215-21. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

30. Savage K, Holtom PD, Zalavras CG. Spinal epidural abscess: early clinical outcome in patients treated medically. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2005 Oct. 439:56-60. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

31. Karikari IO, Powers CJ, Reynolds RM, Mehta AI, Isaacs RE. Management of a spontaneous spinal epidural abscess: a single-center 10-year experience. Neurosurgery. 2009 Nov. 65(5):919-23; discussion 923-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

32. Kim SD, Melikian R, Ju KL, Zurakowski D, Wood KB, Bono CM. Independent predictors of failure of nonoperative management of spinal epidural abscesses. Spine J. 2013 Oct 30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

33. Patel AR, Alton TB, Bransford RJ, Lee MJ, Bellabarba CB, Chapman JR. Spinal epidural abscesses: risk factors, medical versus surgical management, a retrospective review of 128 cases. Spine J. 2014 Feb 1. 14(2):326-30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

34. Wang TY, Harward SC 2nd, Tsvankin V, Bell H, Charalambous L, Adil SM, et al. Neurological Outcomes After Surgical or Conservative Management of Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Abscesses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Data From 1980 Through 2016. Clin Spine Surg. 2019 Feb. 32 (1):18-29. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

35. Stratton A, Faris P, Thomas K. The Prognostic Accuracy of Suggested Predictors of Failure of Medical Management in Patients With Nontuberculous Spinal Epidural Abscess. Global Spine J. 2018 May. 8 (3):279-285. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

36. Howie BA, Davidson IU, Tanenbaum JE, Pahuta MA, Buchholz AL, Steinmetz MP, et al. Thoracic Epidural Abscesses: A Systematic Review. Global Spine J. 2018 Dec. 8 (4 Suppl):68S-84S. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

37. de Leeuw CN, Fann PR, Tanenbaum JE, Buchholz AL, Freedman BA, Steinmetz MP, et al. Lumbar Epidural Abscesses: A Systematic Review. Global Spine J. 2018 Dec. 8 (4 Suppl):85S-95S. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

38. Spernovasilis N, Demetriou S, Bachlitzanaki M, Gialamas I, Alpantaki K, Hamilos G, et al. Characteristics and predictors of outcome of spontaneous spinal epidural abscesses treated conservatively: A retrospective cohort study in a referral center. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2017 May. 156:11-17. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

39. Shah AA, Ogink PT, Nelson SB, Harris MB, Schwab JH. Nonoperative Management of Spinal Epidural Abscess: Development of a Predictive Algorithm for Failure. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2018 Apr 4. 100 (7):546-555. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

40. Corsini Campioli C, Go JR, Abu Saleh O, Challener D, Yetmar Z, Osmon DR. Antistaphylococcal Penicillin vs Cefazolin for the Treatment of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Spinal Epidural Abscesses. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Mar. 8 (3):ofab071. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

41. Velazquez A, DeRyke CA, Goering R, Hoover V, Wallace MR. Daptomycin non-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus at a US medical centre. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2013 Dec. 19(12):1169-72. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

42. Bucheit J, Collins R, Joshi P. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus epidural abscess treated with ceftaroline fosamil salvage therapy. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2014 Jan 15. 71(2):110-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

43. Ebot J, Freeman WD, Wharen R, Diaz MA, Libertin C. MRSA Spinal Epidural Abscess as a Neurosurgical and Infectious Disease Emergency with Unresolved Antimicrobial Solution. Case Rep Infect Dis. 2019. 2019:7413089. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

44. Lohr M, Reithmeier T, Ernestus RI, Ebel H, Klug N. Spinal epidural abscess: prognostic factors and comparison of different surgical treatment strategies. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2005 Feb. 147(2):159-66; discussion 166. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

45. Kang T, Park SY, Lee SH, Park JH, Suh SW. Spinal epidural abscess successfully treated with biportal endoscopic spinal surgery. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Dec. 98 (50):e18231. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

46. Kowalski TJ, Layton KF, Berbari EF, et al. Follow-up MR imaging in patients with pyogenic spine infections: lack of correlation with clinical features. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007 Apr. 28(4):693-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

47. Davis DP, Wold RM, Patel RJ, et al. The clinical presentation and impact of diagnostic delays on emergency department patients with spinal epidural abscess. J Emerg Med. 2004 Apr. 26(3):285-91. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

48. King C,Fisher C,Brown P,Preist K, Tanski M,Sullivan P. Time-to-completed-imaging, survival,and Function in Patients with Spinal Epidural Abscess:Description of a series of 34 Patients, 2015-2018. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Oct. 2019. 6 (suppl 2):S515. [Full Text].

Mark R Wallace, MD, FACP, FIDSA Infectious Disease Physician, Skagit Valley Hospital, Skagit Regional Health

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Received salary from Medscape for employment. for: Medscape.

Pranatharthi Haran Chandrasekar, MBBS, MD Professor, Chief of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Pranatharthi Haran Chandrasekar, MBBS, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, International Immunocompromised Host Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Fred A Lopez, MD Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Louisiana State University School of Medicine

Fred A Lopez, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Louisiana State Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Gopala K Yadavalli, MD Residency Educator, Department of Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center

Gopala K Yadavalli, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Microbiology, Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Aadia Rana, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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