This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The clinical features of a spinal abscess depend on the stage at which it presents:

  • acute:
    • severe pain at the level of the abscess, exacerbated by movement and associated with local muscle spasm
    • neck stiffness
    • patient systemically unwell
    • neurological dysfunction with increasing cord compression
    • eventually, thrombophlebitis of the dural and cord vessels with subsequent total hemiplegia and loss of sphincter function.

  • chronic - for example, tuberculous abscesses:
    • low-grade systemic malaise
    • slowly-progressing neurological dysfunction
    • occasional acute deterioration due to vertebral collapse

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.