Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) has been known to cause pneumonia, sinusitus, otitis media, meningitis, endocardiditis, myelitis and arthritis. Spinal epidural abscess by S. pneumoniae has been diagnosed rarely among the patients with spinal trauma, intravenous drug abuse, alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, long term steroid use, chronic renal failure, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. We experienced a case of pneumococcal spinal epidural abscess occurred in 75-year-old female with L1 compression fracture since 4 years ago. Her spine magnetic resonance imaging revealed epidural abscess at the level from L3 to S1. S. pneumonia was identified on blood which was susceptible to penicillin. She was immediately treated with antibiotics and surgical exploration. The pneumococcal spinal epidural abscess is very unusual. Therefore, we report here this case with a brief review of the literature.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Aged ; Alcoholism ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis ; Bacteremia ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Epidural Abscess ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningitis ; Myelitis ; Otitis Media ; Penicillins ; Pneumonia ; Spine ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous