Spinal epidural abscess pathophysiology
Although some cord symptoms may be due to mechanical compression (including that due to vertebral body collapse), this is not always found.
A vascular mechanism has also been postulated, and various combinations of arterial and venous pathology have been described 1) (one autopsy series showed little arterial compromise, but did show venous compression and thrombosis, thrombophlebitis of epidural veins, and venous infarction and edema of the spinal cord 2)). Occasionally, there may be infection of the spinal cord itself, possibly by extension through the meninges.