Spinal epidural abscess post-ureteroscopy: a case report

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening infection that requires prompt identification and treatment. Early SEAs may present with non-specific symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, and back pain, before progressing to neurologic dysfunction. To our knowledge, there have been no reports of immunocompetent patients with a history of recurrent UTIs presenting with SEA following ureteroscopy (URS) and lithotripsy (LL).

In this article, we present two cases of spinal abscess formation after ureteroscopy in patients with histories of recurrent urinary tract infections but without previous spinal pathology. Both patients required procedural intervention and one patient sustained lasting neurological deficits.

It is important that urologists be aware of this possible complication to ensure the early diagnosis of the disease to facilitate appropriate management.