Symptoms & Signs
Spinal epidural abscess:
- Bowel or bladder incontinence
- Difficulty urinating (urinary retention)
- Fever and back pain
Intracranial epidural abscess:
- Fever
- Headache
- Lethargy
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain at the site of recent surgery that gets worse (especially if fever is present)
Neurological symptoms depend on the location of the abscess and may include:
- Decreased ability to move any part of the body
- Loss of sensation in any area of the body, or abnormal changes in sensation
- Paralysis
- Weakness
Diagnosis & Tests
The health care provider will perform an exam to look for a loss of functions such as movement or sensation.
Tests may include:
- CT scan
- MRI
- Sample of the abscess to determine what is causing the infection
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Epidural abscess : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Epidural abscess : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Epidural abscess : Treatment
Review Date : 9/28/2008
Reviewed By : David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Unviersity of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicne, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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