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An MRI was obtained for back pain which revealed spinal SDE from the cervical to lumbosacral spine. Given patient\u2019s acute sepsis, haemodynamic instability, and extent of empyema, we placed a lumbar drain for decompression. The patient had a prolonged complicated hospital course. Imaging 2\u2009months later revealed interval decrease in the spinal SDE. Although this severe septic event left the patient with significant deficits, he was able to return to ambulation without surgical intervention.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2021-247156","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,28]],"date-time":"2022-02-28T10:51:22Z","timestamp":1646045482000},"page":"e247156","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Unusual case of spinal subdural empyema with ventriculitis managed conservatively with lumbar drain"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Catherine","family":"Wassef","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Angelique","family":"Johnson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jonathan","family":"Stone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jocn.2009.02.005","article-title":"Early detection of spinal sepsis","volume":"17","author":"Angsuwat","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Clin Neurosci"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"476","DOI":"10.12659\/AJCR.897463","article-title":"Spinal subdural abscess following laminectomy for symptomatic stenosis: a report of 2 cases and review of the literature","volume":"17","author":"Ramos","year":"2016","journal-title":"Am J Case Rep"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00701-018-3467-2"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3171\/jns.1992.76.2.0307"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2522\/ptj.20070205"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/1749-7922-4-31","article-title":"Spinal subdural Staphylococcus aureus abscess: case report and review of the literature","volume":"4","author":"Velissaris","year":"2009","journal-title":"World J Emerg Surg"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jocn.2004.02.011"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1007\/s00586-013-2700-1","article-title":"Chronic spinal subdural abscess mimicking an intradural-extramedullary tumor","volume":"22 Suppl 3","author":"Lim","year":"2013","journal-title":"Eur Spine J"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3121\/cmr.2013.1174"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.22603\/ssrr.2018-0010","article-title":"Spinal subdural abscess following food intoxication: a case report","volume":"3","author":"Takeuchi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Spine Surg Relat Res"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.4103\/sni.sni_171_17","article-title":"Chronic thoracolumbar subdural empyema: case report and surgical management","volume":"8","author":"Basheer","year":"2017","journal-title":"Surg Neurol Int"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00007632-200007010-00010"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jnnp.65.2.209"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/sni.sni_81_17"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2018.01013"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.16","article-title":"Bilateral external ventricular drain placement and intraventricular irrigation combined with concomitant serial prone patient positioning: a novel treatment for Gravity-Dependent layering in bacterial ventriculitis","volume":"9","author":"Chan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"2025082710163817000_15.2.e247156.17","first-page":"25","article-title":"Neurologic manifestations of Staphylococcus aureus infections. 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