Spinal Cord Abscess

Excerpt

First described by Hart in 1830, in the present era, an intramedullary spinal cord abscess (ISCA) is a very rare form of spinal cord abscess.

Their rarity may be accountable to the following factors:

1. A relatively smaller volume and total surface area of the cord.

2. An acute angle of origin of the corresponding spinal arteries.

3. The protection is provided by the osseous vertebral canal and the meningeal layers, notably the pia mater.

Though rare, prompt diagnosis and treatment of this condition are of paramount importance to preventing damage to the spinal cord that can lead to disabling neurological deficits and possibly death.