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Case Reports
. 2008 Feb;22(2):177-80.
doi: 10.1155/2008/893757.

Spinal epidural abscess -- a rare complication of inflammatory bowel disease

C J Brown  1 , H Jaffer, N Jaffer, C Burul, R S McLeod
Affiliations
Case Reports

Spinal epidural abscess -- a rare complication of inflammatory bowel disease

C J Brown et al. Can J Gastroenterol. 2008 Feb.

Abstract
in English, French

Spinal epidural abscess is an uncommon but highly morbid illness. While it usually afflicts older, immunocompromised patients, this condition has been reported as a result of intestinal perforation in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease. Two cases of spinal epidural abscess in patients with inflammatory bowel disease are reported: one in a patient with Crohn's disease and one in a patient with ulcerative colitis after restorative proctocolectomy.

L’abcès spinal épidural est une maladie rare mais extrêmement morbide. Bien qu’il affecte généralement des patients plus âgés et immunodéprimés, ce type d’abcès a été signalé après une perforation intestinale dans le contexte de la maladie inflammatoire de l’intestin. Deux cas d’abcès spinal épidural chez des patients atteints de maladie inflammatoire de l’intestin sont décrits ici. L’un chez un patient atteint de la maladie de Crohn et l’autre, chez un patient atteint de colite ulcéreuse ayant subi une proctocolectomie correctrice.

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Figures

Figure 1)
Figure 1)
A sagittal magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lumbar spine, showing epidural abscesses from L5 to S3 (arrows). Soft tissue mass is seen in the presacral space corresponding to the abscesses
Figure 2)
Figure 2)
A Axial computed tomography scan at the level of L5 to S1 disc space, showing multiple bilateral paraspinal abscesses (arrow) and ‘ring enhancing’ inflammatory masses in the epidural, and both right and left sacral foramina (open arrowheads). B Axial computed tomography scan of the lower pelvis, showing a thickened distal ileum tethered toward the inflammatory presacral abscess (arrow)
Figure 3)
Figure 3)
A Sagittal computed tomography scan of the ileal pouch (black arrow), showing a leak from the posterior aspect of the ileoanal pouch (black arrowhead), with a thin layer of presacral abscesses (white arrows). B Sagittal computed tomography scan image to the left of the midline, showing pockets of gas with an ill-defined abscess in the intervertebral foramen in the epidural space (arrow)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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