title: Holocord spinal epidural abscess.
abstract: Spinal epidural abscess is rare in infants and leads to major permanent neurological deficits if the condition is left untreated. Holocord epidural abscess is extremely rare. We report a patient with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus septicemia presenting with pneumonia, retroperitoneal abscess, and epidural abscess. A 7-month-old previously healthy girl presented with fever, irritability, tachypnea for 4 days and decreased movement of the right lower limb for 1 day. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine demonstrated an extensive epidural abscess from second cervical to fifth lumbar vertebrae without osteomyelitis or discitis. The epidural abscess was treated with intravenous antibiotics for 6 weeks. At 3 months follow-up, no neurological deficits were present. Only a few case reports of holocord epidural abscess in children have been published. We present a case of conservatively treated holocord spinal abscess in an infant.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA. ghoshp3@ccf.org
authors.forename: Partha Sekhar
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Loddenkemper
authors.forename: Manuel Buitrago
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sabella
authors.forename: Debabrata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D020802:Epidural Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011023:Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome