Objectives: Spinal subdural abscess Is rare and only 45 cases have been des
cribed to date. In this report, we present an additional spinal subdural tu
berculous abscess.
Method: Tuberculous meningitis was diagnosed with clinical and laboratory f
indings in a 45-year-old man. A spinal subdural abscess was demonstrated us
ing MRI. Presence of the abscess was revealed by surgical intervention. The
diagnosis was confirmed by pathological examination.
Results: The patient had been treated for tuberculous meningitis 2 years pr
eviously. The disease recurred when anti-tuberculous therapy was prematurel
y discontinued, During the second treatment, the patient also underwent a v
entriculo-peritoneal shunt operation for hydrocephalus. Dizziness and weakn
ess of both legs developed after the postoperative period. Spinal MRI showe
d a. spinal subdural abscess as a iso-intense mass with spinal cord in the
T1 and T2 weighted images, ring like enhancement and compression on the spi
nal cord at T3-T4 level. The patient underwent surgery and the abscess was
drained.
Conclusion: Tuberculosis may cause a spinal subdural abscess and although i
t is a rare disorder, when encountered MRI is very useful in the diagnosis.