Spinal infection classification [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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====== Spinal infection classification ======


[[Spine infection]]s may be divided into the following major categories:

1. [[vertebral osteomyelitis]] ([[spondylitis]]):

a) pyogenic

b) nonpyogenic, granulomatous

● [[tuberculous spondylitis]]

● [[brucellosis]]

● [[aspergillosis]]

● [[blastomycosis]]

● [[Coccidioidomycosis]]

● infection with Candida tropicalis

2. [[discitis]]: usually associated with [[vertebral osteomyelitis]] ([[spondylodiscitis]]) 

a) [[Spontaneous spinal infection]].

b) post-operative/post-procedure

3. [[Spinal epidural abscess]] 

4. spinal [[subdural empyema]]

5. [[meningitis]]

[[Medulla oblongata abscess]]

[[Intramedullary spinal cord abscess]]
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[[MRI]] experience suggests that patients with infectious [[spondylitis]] will develop an associated [[epidural abscess]] if untreated, and that [[epidural empyema]] is unusual in the absence of [[vertebral osteomyelitis]]
((Cahill DW. Infections of the Spine. Contemp Neurosurg. 1993; 15:1–8)).

Thus, the discovery of one of these conditions should prompt a search for the other.