[Spinal epidural abscess without spondylodiscitis. Description of four cases]. / Absceso epidural espinal sin espondilodiscitis. Descripción de cuatro casos.

We performed a retrospective study about patients diagnosed of spinal epidural abscess without concurrent spondylodiscitis, collected in the last five years in our hospital. We describe four patients, all of them males, with ages ranged from 59 to 67 years old. All patients presented fever, elevated phase reactants and spinal pain, with cord compression in three of them. Two patients had risk factors: diabetes mellitus and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. S. aureus was isolated in three patients, and S. agalactiae in the other one. The posterior epidural space was the most frequently affected, with variable location along the spinal cord. Three patients required surgical operation, and the other one was treated only with antibiotics. All patients demonstrated a complete clinical, analytical and radiological resolution.

Absceso epidural espinal sin espondilodiscitis. Descripción de cuatro casos / Spinal epidural abscess without spondylodiscitis. Description of four cases

Realizamos un estudio retrospectivo de los casos diagnosticados de absceso epidural espinal sin espondilodiscitis asociada recogidos a lo largo de cinco años en nuestro hospital. Describimos cuatro casos que afectan a varones con una edad comprendida entre 59 y 67 años. Todos presentaron fiebre, reactantes de fase elevados y dolor raquídeo, apreciándose en tres de ellos datos de compresión medular. Dos pacientes tenían enfermedades de base: diabetes mellitus y linfoma no Hodgkin. En 3 pacientes se aisló S. aureus y S. agalactiae en el otro. La localización del absceso fue variable, siendo el espacio epidural posterior el más frecuentemente afectado. Un paciente se trató sólo con antibióticos, siendo sometidos los tres restantes también a intervención quirúrgica. Se evidenció en todos ellos una completa resolución clínica, analítica y radiológica

We performed a retrospective study about patients diagnosed of spinal epidural abscess without concurrent spondylodiscitis, collected in the last five years in our hospital.We describe four patients, all of them males, with ages ranged from 59 to 67 years old. All patients presented fever, elevated phase reactants and spinal pain, with cord compresion in three of them. Two patients had risk factors: diabetes mellitus and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. S. aureus was isolated in three patients, and S. agalactiae in the other one. The posterior epidural space was the most frequently affected, with variable location along the spinal cord. Three patients required surgical operation, and the other one was treated only with antibiotics. All patients demonstrated a complete clinical, analytical and radiological resolution