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Book

Spinal Epidural Abscess

Walter A. Hall  1 , Sunil Munakomi  2 , Fassil B. Mesfin  3
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

Spinal Epidural Abscess

Walter A. Hall et al.
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Excerpt

A spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a suppurative central nervous system infection involving the space between the spinal dura mater and the vertebral periosteum. Giovanni Morgagni first described SEA in 1761. Although classically, patients with spinal epidural abscesses present with midline back pain, fever, and neurologic deficits, other presentations of this disease process can be highly variable. A spinal epidural abscess is challenging to diagnose without a strong index of clinical suspicion. If untreated, spinal epidural abscesses can lead to severe neurological morbidity and even mortality. As a result, any suspicion of this condition warrants immediate evaluation and timely intervention. Diagnosing and managing spinal epidural abscesses are greatly aided by modern radiological techniques, including computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Walter Hall declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Sunil Munakomi declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Fassil Mesfin declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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