Thoracic spinal epidural abscess caused by Salmonella typhi.

A 56-year-old man presented with a rare spinal epidural abscess manifesting as attacks of back pain associated with fever, weight loss, generalized weakness and fatigability, and constipation. He had multiple skin pustules in the last 4 months treated with oral amoxicillin. He had suffered diabetes mellitus for the last 5 years and was insulin dependent. Physical examination found slight paraparesis with sensory loss around the nipple and sphincteric urgency, and diabetic retinopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging showed edematous T2, T3, and T4 vertebral bodies, and narrow enhanced T3-4 disk space with a soft tissue enhanced mass mostly anterior to the spinal cord and indenting the cord. T3-4 costotransversectomy was performed to remove the extradural mass and evacuate the intradiscal material. Histological examination of the bone found osteomyelitis, and culture of the soft tissue showed Salmonella typhi sensitive to ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin. Intravenous ceftriaxone administration was started, and the patient was discharged after 6 days in good condition. The outcome of spinal epidural abscess is devastating unless recognized and treated early. The present case of spinal epidural abscess in the thoracic spine caused by Salmonella typhi infection illustrates the importance of cultures to assess the drug sensitivity of the specific strain detected and adjusting the treatment accordingly.