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Neurocritical Care pp 446–451Cite as

Spinal Abscesses

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Abstract

Among spinal abscesses, epidural abscesses are most frequently observed. Spinal epidural abscesses are diagnosed in approximately 0.2–2.8 cases per 10 000 admissions to large tertiary-care centers. There is no seasonal trend. The male-to-female ratio is about 1:1. Spinal epidural abscesses have been reported in all age-groups; however, they are very uncommon in children. An epidural abscess requires urgent surgery and antibiotic therapy because a severe neurological deficit (e.g., paraplegia) may develop within hours.

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Authors
  1. Hans-Walter Pfister
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  2. Thomas P. Bleck
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Werner Hacke M.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wall Street, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Daniel F. Hanley M.D. (Associate Professor, Director Neuroscience Critical) (Associate Professor, Director Neuroscience Critical)

  3. Department of Neurology, Humboldt University Berlin, Schumannstr. 20/21, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Karl M. Einhäupl M.D. (Professor and Chairman, Charité) (Professor and Chairman, Charité)

  4. Department of Neurology, Medical Center, University of Virginia, Box 394, 22908, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Thomas P. Bleck M.D. (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

  5. Department of Neurology, Washington University, Medical Center, 660 South Euclid Avenue, P.O. Box 8111, 63110, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Michael N. Diringer M.D. (Assistant Professor) (Assistant Professor)

  6. Department of Neurology, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, 32 Fruit Street, 02114, Boston, MA, USA

    Allan H. Ropper M.D. (Professor of Neurology) (Professor of Neurology)

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© 1994 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Pfister, HW., Bleck, T.P. (1994). Spinal Abscesses. In: Hacke, W., Hanley, D.F., Einhäupl, K.M., Bleck, T.P., Diringer, M.N., Ropper, A.H. (eds) Neurocritical Care. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87602-8_43

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87602-8_43

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-87604-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-87602-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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