This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Pathogenesis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The agent causing a spinal abscess is usually bacterial, spreading from a septic focus within bone, or alternatively, from a distant focus through a haematogenous route.

The key organisms are:

  • Staphylococcus spp. - the most common
  • Streptococcus spp.
  • gram -ve bacilli - secondary to diverticulitis and chronic inflammatory bowel disease sources
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis - rare in the UK, but worldwide it is an important cause of chronic epidural abscesses

The dura usually limit the spread of pus to the extradural space, however penetrating wounds and poor immune function may permit subdural and intramedullary spread.

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