gms | German Medical Science

56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC)
3èmes journées françaises de Neurochirurgie (SFNC)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V.
Société Française de Neurochirurgie

07. bis 11.05.2005, Strasbourg

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Epidural empyema and severe diabetes: recovering after conservative treatment: a case report

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  • corresponding author E. Louis - Service de Neurochirurgie, Polyclinique de la Louvière, Lille, France
  • C. Girardot - Service d'Endocrinologie-Diabétologie, Polyclinique de la Louvière, Lille, France
  • J. P. Cappoen - Service d'Endocrinologie-Diabétologie, Polyclinique de la Louvière, Lille, France

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Société Française de Neurochirurgie. 56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), 3èmes journées françaises de Neurochirurgie (SFNC). Strasbourg, 07.-11.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. DocP214

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2005/05dgnc0482.shtml

Published: May 4, 2005

© 2005 Louis et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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We report a case of rapidly developing paraparesia in a feverish context. The anamnesis reveals a non treated diabetes over ten years. The initial clinical statement showed a severe paraparesia (2/5) without sensitive level, a diabetes mellitus (2.5g/l) without acidosis nor ketone bodies, a severe infection syndrome. Blood culture proved a septicemia of Streptococcus agalactae. The MRI showed a posterior epidural empyema extended from T2 to L2 with several muscular abscesses.

Conservative treatment was decided. The antibiotherapy instored was amoxicilline and gentamicine, combined with continuous insulinotherapy. Paraplegia regressed within ten days. Control MRI confirmed the regression of the empyema.

The literature found a similar case with good outcome after medical treatment. This points out the interest of instoring first a medical treatment in those patients despite the severity of neurological statement or radiological signs.