We present a case involving an extensive epidural abscess that was successfully treated with computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous needle drainage and systemic antibiotic therapy. A 44-year-old woman with a history of spine injection procedures complained of severe backache and progressive radiating pain in her right lower extremity followed by sensory deficits in her right lower limb. A laboratory examination revealed leukocytosis and hyperglycemia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar region revealed an extremely large posterior spinal epidural abscess (SEA) extending from L2 to S2. Because the patient did not respond to intravenous antibiotics alone, she underwent CT-guided percutaneous needle drainage and irrigation. 
Staphylococcus aureus was detected in the purulent material from this abscess. Her clinical symptoms were dramatically and immediately relieved after this procedure. She achieved complete neurological recovery after 2 months of antibiotic therapy. CT-guided percutaneous needle drainage and irrigation may be a rational treatment choice for patients with SEA with the exception of patients with a chronic abscess, an anterior abscess or discitis.

CT-guided minimally invasive treatment for an extensive spinal epidural abscess: a case report and literature review

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), despite its possible complications, remains the gold standard for the surgical treatment of patients with radiculopathy and/or myelopathy caused by cervical intervertebral disc herniation or spondylosis. Despite its high rate of incidence, postoperative dysphagia following ACDF is still poorly understood; its pathogenesis remains relatively unknown, and its risk factors are still a subject of debate. The aim of this study is to review the incidence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and methods of prevention of dysphagia in ACDF patients. To this end, a literature review was conducted based on the PubMed internet database. Article titles were searched by using the following keywords: “dysphagia” and “anterior cervical discectomy and fusion” or “ACDF”. The search was limited to prospective clinical studies evaluating dysphagia after ACDF surgery. Studies published in non-English languages, retrospective studies, cadaveric studies, reviews, case reports, study protocols, and commentary studies were excluded. Initially, 335 studies were identified after a primary search. After the application of the exclusion criteria, 73 studies remained for the final analysis. This literature review focused on identifying the rate of dysphagia and the various risk factors leading to this complication by comparing and evaluating the current literature with a wide spectrum of heterogeneity concerning patients, surgeons, and surgical techniques. A mean dysphagia rate of 19.4% (95% CI: 9.6%-29.1%) based on the findings of the included studies correlating dysphagia directly with ACDF procedures was calculated. Various established risk factors leading to dysphagia include the female sex, smoking, the surgical approach, rhBMP-2 use, and multilevel surgery, while zero-profile devices seem to reduce dysphagia risk. The diagnosis is based on clinical and radiological findings, especially prevertebral soft-tissue swelling. However, videofluoroscopic and endoscopic studies have been recently used for the evaluation of dysphagia. The role of local administration of steroids in the prevention of dysphagia has not yet been clarified. This review underscores the prevailing rudimentary understanding of the problem of dysphagia after ACDF procedures and highlights the need for more sensitive, factor-specific studies for understanding the impact of various risk factors on the incidence rate of dysphagia.

/pdf/dysphagia-as-a-postoperative-complication-of-anterior-3dvbqw6q.pdf

Dysphagia as a Postoperative Complication of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare but serious condition that carries with it a high rate of morbidity and mortality.This review highlights the pearls and pitfalls of SEA, including presentation, initial evaluation, and management in the emergency department (ED) based on current evidence.SEA is a suppurative infection and infectious disease emergency that may result in significant morbidity and even mortality. It is a challenging diagnosis due to its range of risk factors and variety of presentations with up to 90% of patients misdiagnosed on their first ED visit. Factors associated with increased risk of SEA include immunocompromise, bacteremia, contiguous infection (e.g., psoas muscle abscess, osteomyelitis, skin infection), and spinal instrumentation. However, the absence of risk factors cannot be used to exclude SEA. The classic triad of back pain, fever, and neurologic deficit occurs in less than 8% of cases, though back pain is a common presenting symptom. Up to half of patients experience a neurologic abnormality, but fever is absent in 50%. Laboratory assessment may assist with inflammatory markers elevated in the majority of cases. Diagnosis includes magnetic resonance imaging with and without contrast and blood cultures, and management includes spinal specialist consultation and antibiotic therapy.An understanding of SEA can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease. 

http://manuscript.elsevier.com/S0735675722000092/pdf/S0735675722000092.pdf

High risk and low prevalence diseases: Spinal epidural abscess.

Background: Spinal cord injury is not only caused by trauma but also by non-trauma, such as spinal epidural abscess (SEA). Tuberculous SEA is a rare infectious disorder, a delayed diagnosis associated with morbidity and mortality. The problems of tuberculous SEA is not only infection but also neurological deficit, axial back pain, pathological fracture, deformity, and socioeconomic and psychogenic problem. There are a few cases of SEA caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mostly caused by Staphylococcus aureus with decreasing body’s defense mechanism caused by a deficiency of vitamin D. This study aimed to evaluate the neurological recovery of non-traumatic spinal cord injury caused by spinal tuberculosis with spinal epidural abscess and vitamin D deficiency that treated with vitamin D as an adjuvant.
Case Report: A 31-year-old female came to the orthopedic clinic with paraparesis ASIA grade C, axial back pain, and spinal deformity for three months, with vitamin D levels of 15.5 ng/ml. MRI showed epidural abscess at the level of the 10th-11th thoracic vertebrae, spondylodiscitis of the 10th-11th thoracic vertebrae accompanied by paraspinal abscess of the 8th thoracic vertebrae to the 1st lumbar vertebra. The diagnosis was confirmed by cultured and histopathological examination. The treatment was surgery, followed by anti-TB drugs and daily vitamin D 5000 IU for one year. After one year of follow-up, the patient returned to work without a neurological deficit and axial back pain.
Conclusion: This report describes the importance of early diagnosis and proper treatment of spinal cord injury in tuberculous SEA with a deficiency of vitamin D.

Spinal Cord Injury in Tuberculous Spinal Epidural Abscess Patient with Deficiency of Vitamin D : A Case Report with Literature Review

Spinal epidural abscesses: Diagnosis and current treatment options

Prospective comparison of dysphagia following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with and without rhBMP-2.

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Spinal epidural abscesses: Diagnosis and current treatment options

Prospective comparison of dysphagia following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with and without rhBMP-2.