Thoracic Epidural Abscess

Findings:

An ovoid dorsal extradural lesion is present at the T5-6 level which demonstrates uniform extensive surrounding enhancement and a central zone of complex fluid signal. The lesion causes moderate to severe cord compression with associated cord edema signal. There is also patchy poorly defined signal abnormality within the paraspinal musculature at this level.

Discussion:

Clinical history such as known IV drug abuse, other infected site, and/or bacteremia should be helpful to arrive at the diagnosis, and there is little else that can commonly have this appearance. A cystic neoplasm would not be expected to have surrounding poorly defined epidural enhancement and paraspinal soft tissue signal changes.

BACK TO MAIN PAGE