title: Cervical epidural abscess: serial MRI study.
abstract: Cervical epidural abscess (CEA) at first often goes unrecognized and it is to be suspected in patients suffering by spinal ache, root pain, neurological deficit and fever. Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequent etiologic agent. At present MRI is the study of choice for the diagnosis of CEA. We suggest a serial MRI study in close time in at first doubtful cases of CEA. When the responsible organism is not identified and there are also compressive signs of the spinal cord, the treatment of choice is surgical decompression followed by selective antibiotic therapy. The duration of antibiotic therapy may be established not only by clinical judgement, but also by serial MRI study, which gives direct information about disease evolution.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurosurgical Sciences, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giuffrida
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chiaramonte
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saponara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giammona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Le Pira
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy