NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS OF THE UNSPECI FIC BACTERIAL SPONDYLITIS

Infections in the range of the spinal column are mainly leading to inf lammatory processes which are not only injuring the function of the sp inal column, but may also injure the nervous system because of their d irect neighbourhood. An unspecific bacterial spondylitis may appear wi th general infections haematogenously coming from a spread focus, dire ctly after traumas or surgical interventions, from neighbouring focuse s, or indirectly lymphatically forwarded. Mostly, the lumbar spinal co lumn is injured, more rarely the thoracic spinal column and even less the cervical spinal column. An infection of the os sacrum is a rarity. Just in the beginning of the disease, the patients concerned often sh ow clinical symptoms which are hard to coordinate. By way of 9 own pat ients, neurological complications are shown with spreading process par avertebrally or into the spinal tract. Mainly, besides affections of t he nerve roots and the plexus, it is a matter of myelogenic compressio n syndromes, rarely a matter of heavy meningoencephalitises ending let hally. Polyneuropathy syndromes are also very rare in this connection. The relevant additional diagnostics, especially the different validit y of the imaging procedures, are shown as well as the conservative and surgical methods of therapy dependent from the individual case.