title: Acute paraplegia by epidural abscess: full neurological recovery following surgical decompression.
abstract: Authors report a case of acute paraplegia due to an epidural spinal abscess caused by a heroin injection that happened four months before. A complete neurological recovery is obtained by surgical decompression and antibiotic therapy despite the preoperative neurological status. The need for a surgical stabilization following extensive laminectomy is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Maggiore Hospital, Bologna, Italy. federicodeiure@acantho.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Iure
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paderni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boriani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D020802:Epidural Abscess / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin