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Spinal epidural abscess

MedGen UID:
68667
•Concept ID:
C0238434
•
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Abscess, Spinal Epidural; Abscess, Spinal Extradural; Epidural Abscess, Spinal; Extradural Abscess, Spinal; Spinal Epidural Abscess; Spinal Extradural Abscess
SNOMED CT: Spinal epidural abscess (63627007); Spinal extradural abscess (63627007); Intraspinal epidural abscess (63627007); Extradural intraspinal abscess (63627007); Intraspinal extradural abscess (63627007)
 
HPO: HP:0033181

Definition

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is caused by a suppurative infection in the epidural space. The mass effect of the abscess can compress and reduce blood flow to the spinal cord, conus medullaris, or cauda equina. [from HPO]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVSpinal epidural abscess

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes.
Schwab JH, Shah AA
J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2020 Nov 1;28(21):e929-e938. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00685. PMID: 32694325
Spinal Emergencies in Primary Care Practice.
Babu JM, Patel SA, Palumbo MA, Daniels AH
Am J Med 2019 Mar;132(3):300-306. Epub 2018 Oct 3 doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.09.022. PMID: 30291829
Management of spinal infection: a review of the literature.
Lener S, Hartmann S, Barbagallo GMV, Certo F, Thomé C, Tschugg A
Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2018 Mar;160(3):487-496. Epub 2018 Jan 22 doi: 10.1007/s00701-018-3467-2. PMID: 29356895Free PMC Article

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes.
Schwab JH, Shah AA
J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2020 Nov 1;28(21):e929-e938. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00685. PMID: 32694325
Update on spinal epidural abscess.
Babic M, Simpfendorfer CS, Berbari EF
Curr Opin Infect Dis 2019 Jun;32(3):265-271. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000544. PMID: 31021957
Brain and Spinal Epidural Abscess.
Chow F
Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2018 Oct;24(5, Neuroinfectious Disease):1327-1348. doi: 10.1212/CON.0000000000000649. PMID: 30273242
Spinal epidural abscess.
Tompkins M, Panuncialman I, Lucas P, Palumbo M
J Emerg Med 2010 Sep;39(3):384-90. Epub 2010 Jan 8 doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2009.11.001. PMID: 20060254
Bacterial arthritis.
Ho G Jr
Curr Opin Rheumatol 1991 Aug;3(4):603-9. doi: 10.1097/00002281-199108000-00009. PMID: 1911055

Diagnosis

Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes.
Schwab JH, Shah AA
J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2020 Nov 1;28(21):e929-e938. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00685. PMID: 32694325
Management of spinal infection: a review of the literature.
Lener S, Hartmann S, Barbagallo GMV, Certo F, Thomé C, Tschugg A
Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2018 Mar;160(3):487-496. Epub 2018 Jan 22 doi: 10.1007/s00701-018-3467-2. PMID: 29356895Free PMC Article
Tropical myelopathies.
Román GC
Handb Clin Neurol 2014;121:1521-48. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-4088-7.00102-4. PMID: 24365434
Spinal epidural abscess.
Johnson KG
Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am 2013 Sep;25(3):389-97. Epub 2013 May 14 doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2013.04.002. PMID: 23981455
Spinal epidural abscess.
Darouiche RO
N Engl J Med 2006 Nov 9;355(19):2012-20. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra055111. PMID: 17093252

Therapy

Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes.
Schwab JH, Shah AA
J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2020 Nov 1;28(21):e929-e938. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00685. PMID: 32694325
Update on spinal epidural abscess.
Babic M, Simpfendorfer CS, Berbari EF
Curr Opin Infect Dis 2019 Jun;32(3):265-271. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000544. PMID: 31021957
Management of spinal infection: a review of the literature.
Lener S, Hartmann S, Barbagallo GMV, Certo F, Thomé C, Tschugg A
Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2018 Mar;160(3):487-496. Epub 2018 Jan 22 doi: 10.1007/s00701-018-3467-2. PMID: 29356895Free PMC Article
Spinal epidural abscess.
Tompkins M, Panuncialman I, Lucas P, Palumbo M
J Emerg Med 2010 Sep;39(3):384-90. Epub 2010 Jan 8 doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2009.11.001. PMID: 20060254
Spinal epidural abscess.
Darouiche RO
N Engl J Med 2006 Nov 9;355(19):2012-20. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra055111. PMID: 17093252

Prognosis

Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes.
Schwab JH, Shah AA
J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2020 Nov 1;28(21):e929-e938. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00685. PMID: 32694325
Update on spinal epidural abscess.
Babic M, Simpfendorfer CS, Berbari EF
Curr Opin Infect Dis 2019 Jun;32(3):265-271. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000544. PMID: 31021957
Musculoskeletal Infections in the Emergency Department.
Kolinsky DC, Liang SY
Emerg Med Clin North Am 2018 Nov;36(4):751-766. Epub 2018 Sep 6 doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2018.06.006. PMID: 30297002Free PMC Article
Management of spinal infection: a review of the literature.
Lener S, Hartmann S, Barbagallo GMV, Certo F, Thomé C, Tschugg A
Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2018 Mar;160(3):487-496. Epub 2018 Jan 22 doi: 10.1007/s00701-018-3467-2. PMID: 29356895Free PMC Article
Iatrogenic spinal epidural abscess.
Chan YC, Dasey N
Acta Chir Belg 2007 Mar-Apr;107(2):109-18. PMID: 17515258

Clinical prediction guides

Predictors of reoperation after surgery for spinal epidural abscess.
Kamalapathy PN, Karhade AV, Groot OQ, Lin KE, Shah AA, Nelson SB, Schwab JH
Spine J 2022 Nov;22(11):1830-1836. Epub 2022 Jun 20 doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2022.06.006. PMID: 35738500
Spinal epidural abscess in COVID-19 patients.
Talamonti G, Colistra D, Crisà F, Cenzato M, Giorgi P, D'Aliberti G
J Neurol 2021 Jul;268(7):2320-2326. Epub 2020 Sep 10 doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-10211-z. PMID: 32910251Free PMC Article
Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes.
Schwab JH, Shah AA
J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2020 Nov 1;28(21):e929-e938. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-19-00685. PMID: 32694325
Update on spinal epidural abscess.
Babic M, Simpfendorfer CS, Berbari EF
Curr Opin Infect Dis 2019 Jun;32(3):265-271. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000544. PMID: 31021957
Medical and surgical management of spinal epidural abscess: a systematic review.
Arko L 4th, Quach E, Nguyen V, Chang D, Sukul V, Kim BS
Neurosurg Focus 2014 Aug;37(2):E4. doi: 10.3171/2014.6.FOCUS14127. PMID: 25081964

Recent systematic reviews

Gas forming infection of the spine: a systematic and narrative review.
Beit Ner E, Chechik Y, Lambert LA, Anekstein Y, Mirovsky Y, Smorgick Y
Eur Spine J 2021 Jun;30(6):1708-1720. Epub 2020 Oct 27 doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06646-7. PMID: 33108532
Spinal epidural abscesses - The role for non-operative management: A systematic review.
Gardner WT, Rehman H, Frost A
Surgeon 2021 Aug;19(4):226-237. Epub 2020 Jul 16 doi: 10.1016/j.surge.2020.06.011. PMID: 32684428
The time-sensitive challenge of diagnosing spinal epidural abscess in the emergency department.
Alerhand S, Wood S, Long B, Koyfman A
Intern Emerg Med 2017 Dec;12(8):1179-1183. Epub 2017 Aug 4 doi: 10.1007/s11739-017-1718-5. PMID: 28779448
How Best to Manage the Spinal Epidural Abscess? A Current Systematic Review.
Suppiah S, Meng Y, Fehlings MG, Massicotte EM, Yee A, Shamji MF
World Neurosurg 2016 Sep;93:20-8. Epub 2016 Jun 1 doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2016.05.074. PMID: 27262655
Medical and surgical management of spinal epidural abscess: a systematic review.
Arko L 4th, Quach E, Nguyen V, Chang D, Sukul V, Kim BS
Neurosurg Focus 2014 Aug;37(2):E4. doi: 10.3171/2014.6.FOCUS14127. PMID: 25081964

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