title: Infection of disk space secondary to fistula from pelvic abscess.
abstract: Disk space sepsis is a recognized complication of spinal surgery, but infection by a penetrating fistula from a retroperitoneal or pelvic abscess is rare. The lack of localizing symptoms, the insidious disease process, and the clinical and myelographic findings simulating a herniated disk syndrome obscure the true diagnosis and make identification of the primary infection difficult. A good result was obtained in this case by laminectomy and drainage of the lumbosacral disk space, followed by a diagnostic fistulogram and evacuation of a large pelvic abscess.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007796:Laminectomy; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000209:etiology