ABSTRACT
We have reported a case of acute spinal epidural abscess, an uncommon cause of pain in the neck and back. The typical progression from spinal ache to paralysis may be halted if the diagnosis is suspected and prompt radiologic and surgical interventions are initiated.
Subject(s)
Abscess/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Abscess/surgery , Acute Disease , Aged , Epidural Space , Humans , Male , Myelography , Spinal Diseases/surgeryABSTRACT
Videotapes of 71 pseudoseizures from 27 patients were reviewed and clinical phenomena were recorded. Twenty patients demonstrated decreased response to verbal stimuli; 15 described subjective phenomena; 22 had motor activity; 14 semipurposeful movements simulating epileptic automatisms; 19 alimentary phenomena; 9 respiratory change; and 12 nonverbal vocalization. Episodes could be divided into four major ictal patterns. Fifteen patients had bilateral motor episodes; three had unilateral motor episodes; eight had episodes with multiple behavioral phenomena; and three demonstrated episodes with an impaired response but no observable behavior. Eighteen of the 20 patients with multiple episodes had a stereotyped pattern. Individual phenomena often simulated epileptic activity; rarely did complete episodes closely resemble epileptic seizures.
