title: Proteus mirabilis abscess involving the entire neural axis.
abstract: Intramedullary spinal cord abscesses are rare and potentially devastating lesions usually associated with other infective processes such as bacterial endocarditis, or pulmonary or urogenital infection. We describe a 2-year-old girl who presented with an infected dermal sinus leading to an intraspinal abscess. This abscess eventually spread and involved the entire neural axis leaving her quadriparetic. Drainage of the abscess resulted in recovery and the child regained normal function of her limbs. To our knowledge this is the first documented case of an intramedullary abscess involving the entire neural axis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, H53 Old Main Building, Groote Schuur Hospital and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: amskam@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kamat
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, H53 Old Main Building, Groote Schuur Hospital and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Thango
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, H53 Old Main Building, Groote Schuur Hospital and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: M Ben
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Husein
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D011512:Proteus Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016136:Spina Bifida Occulta / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Intramedullary abscess; Neural axis; Proteus mirabilis