Pediatric Spinal Epidural Abscess: A Case Report of a 12-year-old Girl Without Risk Factors

A 12-year-old girl presented with a spinal epidural abscess (SEA), an unusual emergent infectious disease that often requires surgical intervention. Its nonspecific symptoms and rarity in pediatric patients frequently delay the diagnosis until neurologic symptoms develop. This patient had only fever...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews 2019, Vol.3 (3), p.e066-e066
Main Authors: Sugawara, Ryo, Kikkawa, Ichiro, Watanabe, Hideaki, Hiyama, Shuhei, Kikuchi, Yutaka, Takeshita, Katsushi
Format: Report
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:A 12-year-old girl presented with a spinal epidural abscess (SEA), an unusual emergent infectious disease that often requires surgical intervention. Its nonspecific symptoms and rarity in pediatric patients frequently delay the diagnosis until neurologic symptoms develop. This patient had only fever without back pain or neurologic symptoms at the first visit. Whole-body CT later diagnosed a SEA, which was treated by antibiotics only. No neurologic deterioration was observed, and the fever and now-present pain gradually diminished. Early diagnosis of a SEA is important to avoid the development of symptoms. Despite its irradiation to the patient, CT might be useful for providing an early diagnosis in the absence of neurologic symptoms.
ISSN:2474-7661
DOI:10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-18-00066