[Successful percutaneous drainage of epidural abscess with a 4Fr sheath and pig-tail catheter]

Abstract

A 61-year-old woman was transfered to our emergency center because of epidural abcess with neurological deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed high intensity (T 2 WI) abscess in the epidural space from 5 th cervical to 3 rd thoracic spine level. Surgical drainage was interfered with her poor general conditions. Instead of surgical approach, we inserted a 4 Fr pig-tail catheter into the epidural space with a loss of resistance method, then made a continuous drainage of the abscess. Her neurological state improved after the procedure. Diminished epidural abscess was found on the MRI after the drainage. We demonstrated successfully treated epidural abscess by percutaneous drainage with a 4 Fr short sheath and pig-tail catheter.