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Reinas R, Alves ÓL, Kitumba D, Baptista AM. Surgical treatment of an all-spine epidural empyema. JOURNAL OF CRANIOVERTEBRAL JUNCTION AND SPINE 2023; 14:438-441. [PMID: 38268691 PMCID: PMC10805168 DOI: 10.4103/jcvjs.jcvjs_109_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinal epidural empyema (SEE) is a severe infectious disease of the spine which may cause significant morbidity and mortality. Surgical drainage of the empyema is a key feature. However, approach-related morbidity may be significant in very extensive collections. We present the case of a 55-year-old female with an empyema due to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus spawning from C2 to S1. She underwent drainage of the pus through skip-level laminectomies and catheter epidural saline irrigation. The technique described was both safe and effective at treating the SEE, and the patient returned to normal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Reinas
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centro Hospitalar De Vila Nova De Gaia, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - Óscar L. Alves
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centro Hospitalar De Vila Nova De Gaia, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Lusíadas Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Djamel Kitumba
- Department of Neurosurgery, Complexo Hospitalar Cardeal D. Alexandre do Nascimento, Luanda, Angola
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MacNeille R, Lay J, Razzouk J, Bogue S, Harianja G, Ouro-Rodrigues E, Ting C, Ramos O, Veltman J, Danisa O. Patients Follow-up for Spinal Epidural Abscess as a Critical Treatment Plan Consideration. Cureus 2023; 15:e35058. [PMID: 36938240 PMCID: PMC10023045 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare process with significant risk for morbidity and mortality. Treatment includes an extended course of antibiotics with or without surgery depending on the clinical presentation. Both non-operative and surgically treated patients require close follow-up to ensure the resolution of the infection without recurrence and/or progression of neurologic deficits. No previous study has looked specifically at follow-up in the SEA population, but the review of the literature does show evidence of varying degrees of difficulty with follow-up for this patient population. METHODS This retrospective review looked at follow-up for 147 patients with SEA at a single institution from 2012 to 2021. Statistical analyses were performed to assess differences between groups of surgical versus non-surgical patients and those with adequate versus inadequate follow-up. RESULTS Sixty-two of 147 (42.2%) patients had inadequate follow-up (less than 90 days) with their surgical team, and 112 of 147 (76.2%) patients had inadequate follow-up (less than 90 days) with infectious disease (ID). The primary statistically significant difference between patients with adequate versus inadequate follow-up was found to be surgical status with those treated surgically more likely to have adequate follow-up than those treated non-operatively. CONCLUSION Improved follow-up in surgical patients should be considered as a factor when deciding on surgical versus non-operative treatment in the SEA patient population. Extra efforts coordinating follow-up care should be made for SEA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhett MacNeille
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Johnson Lay
- Department of Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, California University of Science and Medicine, Colton, USA
| | - Jacob Razzouk
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Shelly Bogue
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Gideon Harianja
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Evelyn Ouro-Rodrigues
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Caleb Ting
- Department of Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, USA
| | - Omar Ramos
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Jennifer Veltman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, USA
| | - Olumide Danisa
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, USA
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Blanco C, Moral M, Minguez JJ, Lorenzo V. Clinical Presentation, MRI Characteristics, and Outcome of Conservative or Surgical Management of Spinal Epidural Empyema in 30 Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12243573. [PMID: 36552493 PMCID: PMC9774607 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal epidural empyema (SEE) represents a neurological emergency in veterinary medicine, but information on this condition is limited to date. This retrospective case series study describes the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features, and the outcome of conservative or surgical management of SEE in 30 dogs diagnosed with SEE from September 2015 to March 2020 at one referral neurology centre. The most frequent clinical sign was pain 28/30 (93%), and 22/30 (73%) showed neurological signs with ambulatory paraparesis/tetraparesis 15/30 (50%), monoparesis 1/30 (3.3%), non-ambulatory paraparesis 3/30 (10%), or paraplegia 3/30 (10%). MRI was valuable for the diagnosis and in the follow-up. In this group of dogs, 24/30 (80%) were conservatively treated and 6/30 (20%) were surgically treated. The outcome was considered favourable in all dogs: 20/30 (66.6%) achieved full recovery (3 surgically treated and 17 medically treated) and 10/30 (33.3%) dogs had an improvement in the neurological signs with residual ambulatory paresis (3 surgically treated and 7 medically treated). Surgical treatment showed better short-term (7 days) outcomes than medical treatment in non-ambulatory paraparetic or paraplegic dogs (33%). Nevertheless, this study suggests that a good recovery may be achieved with conservative treatment even for non-ambulatory or paraplegic dogs. Further prospective studies, with a standardised protocol of diagnostic tests and a homogeneous distribution of conservatively and surgically treated dogs, are needed to establish treatment guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Blanco
- Neurología Veterinaria, Calle Diseño n 26, 28906 Getafe, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Meritxell Moral
- Neurología Veterinaria, Calle Diseño n 26, 28906 Getafe, Spain
| | - Juan José Minguez
- Scarsdale Vets-Pride Veterinary Centre, Riverside Road, Derby DE24 8HX, UK
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Xiong GX, Crawford AM, Striano B, Lightsey HM, Nelson SB, Schwab JH. The NIMS framework: an approach to the evaluation and management of epidural abscesses. Spine J 2021; 21:1965-1972. [PMID: 34010684 DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Grace X Xiong
- Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114
| | | | - Brendan Striano
- Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114
| | - Harry M Lightsey
- Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114
| | - Sandra B Nelson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bulfinch 130, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA, 02114
| | - Joseph H Schwab
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Yawkey 3A, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114.
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Kitov B, Kitova T, Kehayov I, Angelova P. Letter to the Editor Regarding "Predictors of Failure for Nonoperative Management of Spinal Epidural Abscess" by Hunter et al. Global Spine J 2021; 11:1313-1314. [PMID: 34525869 PMCID: PMC8453683 DOI: 10.1177/21925682211029268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Borislav Kitov
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Tanya Kitova
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria,Tanya Kitova, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Medical University of Plovdiv, 15A “Vasil Aprilov” Blvd., Plovdiv 4002, Bulgaria.
| | - Ivo Kehayov
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Polina Angelova
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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Chae HJ, Kim J, Kim C. Clinical Characteristics of Spinal Epidural Abscess Accompanied by Bacteremia. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2020; 64:88-99. [PMID: 33353288 PMCID: PMC7819787 DOI: 10.3340/jkns.2020.0278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The treatment of choice for spinal epidural abscess (SEA) generally is urgent surgery in combination with intravenous antibiotic treatment. However, the optimal duration of antibiotic treatment has not been established to date, although 4–8 weeks is generally advised. Moreover, some researchers have reported that bacteremia is a risk factor for failure of antibiotic treatment in SEA. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of SEA accompanied by bacteremia and also determined whether the conventional 4–8 weeks of antibiotic treatment is sufficient.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiological data of 23 patients with bacterial SEA who underwent open surgery from March 2010 to April 2020. All patients had bacteremia preoperatively and underwent weeks of perioperative antibiotic treatments based on their identified organisms until all symptoms of infection disappeared. All patients underwent microbiological studies of peripheral blood, specimens from SEA and concomitant infections. The mean follow-up duration was 35.2 months, excluding three patients who died.
Results The male : female ratio was 15 : 8, and the mean age was 68.9 years. The SEA most commonly involved the lumbar spinal segment (73.9%), and the mean size was 2.9 vertebral body lengths. Mean time periods of 8.4 days and 16.6 days were required from admission to diagnosis and from admission to surgery, respectively. Concomitant infections more frequently resulted in delayed diagnosis (p=0.032), masking the symptoms of SEA. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly identified pathogen in both blood and surgical specimens. Seventeen patients (73.9%) showed no deficits at the final follow-up. The overall antibiotic treatment duration was a mean of 66.6 days, excluding three patients who died. This duration was longer than the conventionally advised 4–8 weeks (p=0.010), and psoas or paraspinal abscess required prolonged duration of antibiotic treatment (p=0.038).
Conclusion SEA accompanied by bacteremia required a longer duration (>8 weeks) of antibiotic treatment. In addition, the diagnosis was more frequently delayed in patients with concomitant infections. The duration of antibiotic treatment should be extended for SEA with bacteremia, and a high index of suspicion is mandatory for early diagnosis, especially in patients with concomitant infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Jun Chae
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Jiha Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea.,Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Choonghyo Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea.,Department of Neurosurgery, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
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Abstract
An infection of the spinal epidural space, spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a potentially devastating entity that is rising in incidence. Its insidious presentation, variable progression, and potential for precipitous neurologic decline make diagnosis and management of SEA challenging. Prompt diagnosis is key because treatment delay can lead to paralysis or death. Owing to the nonspecific symptoms and signs of SEA, misdiagnosis is alarmingly common. Risk factor assessment to determine the need for definitive MRI reduces diagnostic delays compared with relying on clinical or laboratory findings alone. Although decompression has long been considered the benchmark for SEA, considerable risk associated with spinal surgery is noted in an older cohort with multiple comorbidities. Nonoperative management may represent an alternative in select cases. Failure of nonoperative management is a feared outcome associated with motor deterioration and poor clinical outcomes. Recent studies have identified independent predictors of failure and residual neurologic dysfunction, recurrence, and mortality. Importantly, these studies provide tools that generate probabilities of these outcomes. Future directions of investigation should include external validation of existing algorithms through multi-institutional collaboration, prospective trials, and incorporation of powerful predictive statistics such as machine learning methods.
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Yao YC, Lin HH, Chou PH, Wang ST, Liu CL, Chang MC. Risk factors for residual neurologic deficits after surgical treatment for epidural abscess in the thoracic or lumbar spine. Spine J 2020; 20:1638-1645. [PMID: 32417501 DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CONTEXT Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) can cause neurologic deficits and needs urgent surgical intervention. Many clinical factors had been proposed to predict surgical outcomes in patients with SEA, but the predictive radiographic risk factors for residual neurologic deficits were not addressed sufficiently. PURPOSE To analyze the clinical and radiographic risk factors for residual neurologic deficit in patients with SEA after surgical intervention of the thoracic or lumbar spine. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING A retrospective consecutive case series. PATIENT SAMPLE From January 2005 through December 2014, 53 patients with primary SEA, confirmed by culture or histopathology, in the thoracic or lumbar spine who underwent posterior-only approach surgery at our hospital. OUTCOME MEASURES Neurologic status was assessed using the Frankel grading system preoperatively, postoperatively, and at final follow-up. METHODS The patients were allocated into two groups based on the presence of postoperative residual neurologic deficits. Patients' demographic, clinical, and factors based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were analyzed for their influence on residual neurologic deficits. Clinical factors included age, sex, diabetes, comorbidities, pathogens, affected spinal levels, the interval between onset of symptoms to surgery, preoperative neurologic status, presence of cauda equina syndrome, and surgical procedures. MRI factors included the distribution of abscesses within the spinal canal, presence of ring enhancement, presence of paravertebral abscess or psoas abscess, canal compromise anteroposterior (AP) ratio and cross-sectional area ratio, abscess length, and abscess thickness. RESULTS Thirty-five of the 53 patients (66%) had preoperative neurologic deficits, and 21 of 53 patients (40%) had postoperative residual neurologic deficits. Patients' neurologic status improved significantly after the surgery (p<.001). Risk factors including age, diabetes, cauda equina syndrome, presence of anterior with posterior (A+P) dural abscess, canal compromise AP ratio, cross-sectional area ratio, abscess length, and abscess thickness were significantly correlated with postoperative residual neurologic deficits. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age ≥70 years, preoperative cauda equina syndrome, abscess length ≥5.5 cm and abscess thickness ≥0.8 cm were the four most significant factors related to residual neurologic deficits. CONCLUSIONS In patients with SEA of the thoracic and lumbar spine, age ≥70 years, preoperative cauda equina syndrome, abscess length ≥5.5 cm and abscess thickness ≥0.8 cm were the most significant preoperative risk factors for residual neurologic deficits after surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Cheng Yao
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Hsien Lin
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hsin Chou
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Tien Wang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chien-Lin Liu
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chau Chang
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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