Spinal Cord Abscess Quiz

Check your symptoms and
find possible causes with AI for free

Reviewed By:

Shohei Harase

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

From our team of 50+ doctors

Please choose the symptom you are most concerned about.

It will help us optimise further questions for you.

By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Find another symptom

How Ubie can help you

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

Your symptoms

Input your symptoms

Our AI

Our AI checks your symptoms

Your report

You get your personalized report

Personalized Report

✔︎  When to see a doctor

✔︎  What causes your symptoms

✔︎  Treatment information etc.

Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.

Learn more about Spinal cord abscess

Content updated on Sep 20, 2022

What is spinal cord abscess?

A collection of pus around the spinal cord. This can compress on the nerves, causing symptoms. This is sometimes caused by bacteria invading from nearby wounds. In other cases, bacteria multiply in distant areas then travel in the bloodstream to invade the spinal cord's surface.

Symptoms of spinal cord abscess

  • Fever

  • Weakness in arms or legs

  • Numbness or abnormal sensation

  • Back pain

  • Low back pain

Questions your doctor may ask to check for spinal cord abscess

Your doctor may ask these questions to diagnose spinal cord abscess

  • Do you have a fever?

  • Do you feel any weakness in your arms or legs?

  • Do you feel any numbness or change in sensation?

  • Do you have back pain?

  • Do you have pain in the lumbar back?

Treatment for spinal cord abscess

This usually requires strong antibiotics to treat the infection. A procedure or surgery may be needed to free the compressed area and drain pus from the abscess (collection).

View the symptoms of Spinal cord abscess

References

  • Akimoto T, Hirose S, Mizoguchi T, Yokota Y, Hara M, Ishihara M, Morita A, Nakajima H. Ruptured long intramedullary spinal cord abscess successfully treated with antibiotic treatment. J Clin Neurosci. 2020 Dec;82(Pt B):249-251. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2020.10.054. Epub 2020 Nov 24. PMID: 33246901.

    https://www.jocn-journal.com/article/S0967-5868(20)31613-1/fulltext

  • Iwasaki M, Yano S, Aoyama T, Hida K, Iwasaki Y. Acute onset intramedullary spinal cord abscess with spinal artery occlusion: a case report and review. Eur Spine J. 2011 Jul;20 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S294-301. doi: 10.1007/s00586-011-1703-z. Epub 2011 Feb 10. PMID: 21308472; PMCID: PMC3111523.

    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-011-1703-z

Reviewed By:

Shohei Harase

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

From our team of 50+ doctors

Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.

Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide

Shohei Harase

Shohei Harase, MD

Neurology

Kameda Medical Center, Japan

Yu Shirai

Yu Shirai, MD

Psychiatry

Yotsuya Yui Clinic, Japan

Yoshinori Abe

Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal medicine

Co-founder of Ubie, Inc.

Rohini R

Rohini R, MD

Ear, nose, throat (ENT)

Bayshore Health Centre, India

Seiji Kanazawa

Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD

Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)

National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan

View our medical experts