[A case of lumbar intradural and epidural abscesses presenting with elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9)].

An 81-year-old woman was admitted to our service because of high fever and severe lumbar pain. Neurological examination showed a nuchal stiffness and sensory disturbance of the lower extremities. CSF findings showed significantly elevated neutrophils and decreased glucose. MRI demonstrated intradural and epidural abscesses within the lumbar canal. In early stages of the disease, we unexpectedly found the elevated serum CEA and CA19-9. Although those tumor markers showed very high titers, we never found any evidence of the malignant tumor. Interestingly, those markers obviously decreased with the improvement of the abscess within the lumbar canal. We discussed the importance of CEA and CA19-9 in the infectious neurological diseases.