Spinal epidural abscesses: clinical manifestations, prognostic factors, and outcomes

This study was performed to evaluate the clinical manifestations and prognostic factors for outcomes among patients with nontuberculous spinal epidural abscesses.

The records and magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomographic results for patients treated between 1994 and 2000 were retrospectively evaluated. Outcomes were assessed after 11 months, using scores ranging from 0 (dead) to 4 (no neurological deficits).

All 25 patients (mean age, 62 yr) underwent surgery and subsequently received antibiotics. Back/neck pain (72% of patients), leukocytosis (64%), fever (60%), and motor deficits (56%) were the most common symptoms at admission. Outcomes were assessed as poor for 40% of the patients and as good (no deficit or independently ambulatory) for 60%. Low leg muscle strength grades (r = 0.68, P < 0.001) and high white blood cell (WBC) counts (r = -0.56, P = 0.006) at admission were significantly correlated with low outcome scores. From the time of admission until 14 days after surgery, the poor-outcome group exhibited significantly (P < 0.005) higher WBC counts, compared with the good-outcome group. The same was true for C-reactive protein levels, with the exception that no differences between groups were observed until 8 days after surgery. Factors such as cervicothoracic abscess locations (P = 0.041), lower limb motor deficits (P = 0.005), complete paralysis (P = 0.005), and WBC counts of more than 14,000 cells/microl (P = 0.049) at admission were observed to be prognostic for poor outcomes.

Surgical decompression combined with antimicrobial therapy remains the recommended treatment. In addition to abscess locations and motor deficits, inflammatory markers such as WBC counts and C-reactive protein levels are prognostic for outcomes.