Rapidly progressing quadriparesis secondary to cervical pyogenic spondylitis in a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome

We report a case in which the patient's quadriparesis progressed rapidly secondary to pyogenic spondylitis with an epidural abscess of the cervical spine. The patient had type II Klippel-Feil congenital fusion at C3-C4 that may have obscured clinical symptoms, resulting in a slight delay in the diagnosis of spondylitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilitated the determination of the precise location of the epidural abscess, and anterior debridement of the involved vertebrae followed by iliac strut bone grafting led successfully to the patient's full neurological recovery. The case presented is instructive in illustrating the importance of an early diagnosis followed by the appropriate treatment.