Spinal epidural abscess presenting as intra-abdominal pathology: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Spinal epidural abscess is a rare infectious disease. However, if left unrecognized and untreated, the clinical outcome of spinal epidural abscess can be devastating. Correctly diagnosing a spinal epidural abscess in a timely fashion is often difficult, particularly if the clinician does not actively consider the diagnosis. The most common presenting symptoms of spinal epidural abscess include backache, radicular pain, weakness, and sensory deficits. However, early in its course, spinal epidural abscess can also present with vague and nondescript manifestations. In this report, we describe a case of spinal epidural abscess presenting as abdominal pain, and review the literature describing other cases of spinal epidural abscess presenting as intra-abdominal pathology.