Acute epidural abscess.

Acute epidural abscess is a neurosurgical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. The devastating consequences of delayed or missed diagnosis require consideration of acute epidural abscess in the differential diagnosis of back pain. Knowledge of the natural history and presentation of this disease will allow its early recognition and minimize the morbidity and mortality resulting from misdiagnosis. We present a case of advanced pneumococcal epidural abscess complicated by pneumococcal meningitis and review the literature on this subject.