Spinal epidural abscess penetrating into retroperitoneal space in patient with diabetes mellitus type 2: early diagnosis and treatment requirement

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare condition with very serious prognosis. Predisposing factors for SEA include bacterial infections, immunocompromised states such as diabetes mellitus, intravenous drug abuse, alcoholism, AIDS, as well as spinal surgery and modern techniques of epidural anesthesia. The most common causative agent for SEA is Staphylococcus aureus. The typical clinical signs of SEA are back pain, fever and neurologic dysficit. Magnetic resonance of the spine and vertebral column is the best imaging diagnostic method in suspected cases. Emergency surgical decompression combined with intravenous antibiotics is the therapeutic method of choice. Conservative treatment may be appropriate in selected patients. Unless the typical presentation of SEA correct diagnosis of this illness is often overlooked and not considered initially. It delays suitable management and leads to poor outcome. We report a classic case of SEA in a woman with a history of diabetes mellitus.