Top

European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology

Published in:

01-08-2019 | Neck Stiffness | Letter to the Editor • SPINE - INFECTION

Timing of surgical interventions for upper cervical epidural abscess: a case report and review of the literature

Authors: Takaomi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Ureshino, Kensuke Hotta, Ko Ikuta

Published in: European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology | Issue 6/2019

Excerpt

We report a rare case of upper cervical (occiput to C2) epidural abscess (UCEA) unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics. An 88-year-old man presented with a 5-day history of fever, neck pain, and a limb weakness. Laboratory tests revealed a white blood cell count of 26,600/mm³ and a C-reactive protein level of 295 mg/L. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine demonstrated a high-signal intensity lesion surrounding the dens. Blood cultures revealed the presence of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus; thus, antibiotics were initiated. However, he suddenly developed limb paralysis and respiratory failure, leading to rapid decoration in his condition; subsequently, he died 35 h after admission. Autopsy findings revealed an UCEA that resulted in fatal spinal cord compression. …

Al-Hourani K, Al-Aref R, Mesfin A (2016) Upper cervical epidural abscess in clinical practice: diagnosis and management. Glob Spine J 6(4):383–393. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0035-1565260 CrossRef

Al-Hourani K, Frost C, Mesfin A (2015) Upper cervical epidural abscess in a patient with Parkinson disease: a case report and review. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil 6(4):328–333. https://doi.org/10.1177/2151458515604356 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Kubo S, Takimoto H, Hosoi K, Toyota S, Karasawa J, Yoshimine T (2002) Osteomyelitis of the odontoid process associated with meningitis and retropharyngeal abscess—case report. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 42(10):447–451. https://doi.org/10.2176/nmc.42.447 CrossRef

Deshmukh VR (2010) Midline trough corpectomies for the evacuation of an extensive ventral cervical and upper thoracic spinal epidural abscess. J Neurosurg Spine 13(2):229–233. https://doi.org/10.3171/2010.3.SPINE09589 CrossRefPubMed

Vakili M, Crum-Cianflone NF (2017) Spinal epidural abscess: a series of 101 cases. Am J Med 130(12):1458–1463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.07.017 CrossRefPubMed

Title: Timing of surgical interventions for upper cervical epidural abscess: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Takaomi Kobayashi
Hiroshi Ureshino
Kensuke Hotta
Ko Ikuta
Publication date: 01-08-2019
Publisher: Springer Paris
Keywords: Neck Stiffness
Antibiotic
Neck Pain
Published in: European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology / Issue 6/2019
Print ISSN: 1633-8065
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1068
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-019-02425-3

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Timing of surgical interventions for upper cervical epidural abscess: a case report and review of the literature

Excerpt

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Excerpt

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 6/2019

Synovial hemangioma of the knee joint in pediatrics: our case series and review of literature

Surgical complications associated with congestive heart failure in elderly patients following primary hip hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures

A unilateral less invasive posterolateral approach for disc debridement and titanium cage insertion supplemented by contralateral transfascial screw fixation for high-morbidity patients suffering from septic thoracolumbosacral spondylodiscitis

Neck of femur fracture: Previous history of malignancy is not an indication to send femoral head for routine histology

Digital tomography is an effective investigation for sternoclavicular joint pathology

Wave changes in intraoperative transcranial motor-evoked potentials during posterior decompression and dekyphotic corrective fusion with instrumentation for thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament