Epidural abscess

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Epidural abscess

Alternative Names:

Abscess - epidural; Spinal abscess

Symptoms:

Spinal epidural abscess:

Fever and back pain (the back pain may be confined to the spine or may radiate to the arms or legs)
Bowel or bladder incontinence
Difficulty urinating (urinary retention)

Intracranial epidural abscess:

Headache, fever, lethargy, nausea and vomiting (if associated with sinusitis or chronic ear infections, there may be localized pain in those areas)
Progressive pain at the site of recent surgery (neurosurgery), especially if accompanied by fever
Neurological symptoms depend on the location of the abscess, which can be varied and include:
- Weakness, paralysis, or decreased ability to move any part of the body
- Loss of sensation in any area of the body or abnormal changes in sensation

Signs and tests:

Anyone with persistent back pain with fever or headache with fever should have a medical evaluation. This should include a neurological exam to look for a loss of functions such as movement or sensation.

Tests such as CT (cat scan) or MRI are frequently needed to confirm the presence of an epidural abscess.

To establish a diagnosis of the underlying infection causing the abscess, sampling of the abscess is usually necessary.

Review Date: 10/25/2004
Reviewed By: Daniel Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Infectious Diseases, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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