Spinal epidural abscess due to Streptococcus pneumoniae in an HIV-infectedadult

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) due to Streptococcus pneumoniae is rare and h as never been reported in an HIV-infected patient, despite the higher risk of invasive disease in this group. We describe here the first case of pneum ococcal epidural abscess, presenting with fever and back pain in a 60-year- oLd man infected with HIV. Blood cultures were positive for S. pneumoniae a nd magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the suspicion of diskitis and SEA at the L4-S1 level. The patient was successfully treated with iv ceftr iaxone without surgical intervention. The clinical characteristics of this case are compared with existing Literature on pneumococcal SEA.