[Acute epidural spinal abscess--A case of complete recovery by surgical treatment (author's transl)]

Acute spinal epidural abscess is found to be relatively rare and may be getting rarer since antibiotics have been widely used. An early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment are still important to prevent severe neurological deficit such as paraplegia. A characteristic case is presented. Eighteen years old boy showed acute progression of paraplegia and rectourinary difficulty with complete spinal block at T 6-7 intervertebral space on myelography, who had suffered from multiple infectious lacerations on his face and hands two months previously. There was complete recovery of neurological signs following removal of epidural abscess with granulation tissue and spinal decompression by lamineotomy through T 5-7, and supplimentary antibiotic therapy for the organism (Staphylococcus aureus). To our knowlodge, this will be the first case report in this country, which has been obtained successful recovery after surgical treatment in such an acute case.