Postoperative Spondylodiscitis and Epidural Abscess Becoming Visible on Magnetic Resonance Imaging before Positive Laboratory Tests

Abstract

Post operative disc space infection is relatively uncommon. The incidence of postoperative disc space infection is 0.21 %-3.6 % in association with all vertebral surgical procedures. Surgery causes a variety of neuroendocrine and metabolic responses which generally results in immunosupression. Clinical results of immunosupression include delayed wound healing and septic complications. In this article, we report magnetic resonance imaging findings of a case with spondylodiscitis and spinal epidural abscess in which the imaging findings were apparent before the infection and inflammation related laboratory findings laboratory findings become positive. She has a history of surgery due to lumbar herniated disc a month. She was complaining of back and left leg pain. We performed contrast-enhanced MR imaging. MR imaging showed post operative changes at level L5 and S1. There was contrast enhancement at the level of the surgical gap in the posterior paravertebral muscles. MR imaging may help to differentiate postoperative spondylodiscitis and epidural abscess from early postoperative changes even before the laboratory tests appearing positive. In our case, surgery induced immunosupression may cause the infection and inflammation related laboratory findings being within normal limits at the beginning.