Acute purulent discitis with epidural abscess of the cervical spine in an adult--case report.

A 52-year-old male presented with acute purulent discitis and epidural abscess of the cervical spine manifesting as neck pain and slight fever, followed by sudden onset of quadriparesis. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed a low-signal-intensity area in the C6/7 disc space and epidural space ventral to the spinal cord with peripheral enhancement. Surgical exploration using an anterior approach revealed local discitis and epidural abscess, but no osteomyelitis of the neighboring vertebral bodies. Six months after the decompressive procedure to treat the purulent disc and epidural abscess, he had achieved almost full recovery. Such lesions are rare in adults, but should be considered especially when painful spinal symptoms are associated with fever. Early and definitive diagnosis can be achieved by MR imaging with enhancement.