title: [Progressive paraplegia in a somnolent child].
abstract: A somnolent small girl with septic symptoms and a progressive paraplegia was initially treated as having meningitis with complications. Subsequently it was discovered through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that she was suffering from spinal epidural empyema due to a staphylococcal superinfection on the basis of tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis. Lacking surgical facilities therapy was carried out by the anesthesia department using multilevel epidural punctures and drainage. This article discusses the agreement of MRI findings with the interventional findings and the clinical features and shows the leading diagnostic role of MRI throughout the clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi. gipi.bc62@yahoo.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pollach
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kampondeni
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004322:Drainage; D004654:Empyema, Tuberculous / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D020335:Paraparesis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control