title: Intramedullary abscess in association with tumor at the conus medullaris. Report of two cases.
abstract: The authors report on two patients with intramedullary tumors complicated by abscess formation. Both patients experienced abrupt onset of neurological deterioration and poor surgical outcome. An intratumoral abscess developed in one, whereas the other had a tumor-associated syrinx in which an intramedullary abscess developed. Such a conversion of a syrinx into an abscess has not been reported earlier. It is septicemia that underlies all such catastrophic complications; therefore, rapid neurological deterioration should always be looked on with caution and investigated with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Despite poor neurological outcome in such patients, urgent surgical intervention is mandatory.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. satya_sandee@yahoo.com
authors: Sandeep
authors: S
authors: Mohindra
authors: Rahul
authors: R
authors: Gupta
authors: Suresh Narain
authors: SN
authors: Mathuriya
authors: Bishan Dass
authors: BD
authors: Radotra
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000473:pathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae