ArticleNeurosurgical review2022
Decompression only versus fusion in octogenarians with spinal epidural abscesses: early complications, clinical and radiological outcome with 2-year follow-up.
Article in Neurosurgical review, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical efficacy of intervertebral foraminoscopic debridement with catheter drainage for lumbar spinal epidural abscess.BMC surgery · 2026Article
- Intradural Extramedullary Pyogenic Abscess: Incidence, Management, and Clinical Outcomes in 45 Patients With a Mean Follow Up of 2 Years.Global spine journal · 2024Article
- Surgical management of ventrally located cervical epidural abscess: A comparative analysis between patients aged 18-64 years and ≥65 years.World neurosurgery: X · 2024Article
- Prospective insights into spinal surgery outcomes and adverse events: A comparative study between patients 65-79 years vs. ≥80 years from a German tertiary center.Brain & spine · 2024Article
- Mortality, complication risks, and clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of spinal epidural abscess: a comparative analysis of patients aged 18-64 years, 65-79 years, and ≥ 80 years, with a 3-year follow-up.Neurosurgical review · 2023Article
- Patients Follow-up for Spinal Epidural Abscess as a Critical Treatment Plan Consideration.Cureus · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Despite increased life expectancy due to health care quality improvements globally, pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO) treatment with a spinal epidural abscess (SEA) remains challenging in patients older than 80 years. We aimed to assess octogenarians for PVO prevalence with SEA and compare after-surgery clinical outcomes of decompression and decompression and instrumentation. A retrospective review of electronic medical records at a single institution was conducted between September 2005 and December 2020. Patient demographics, surgical characteristics, complications, hospital course, and 90-day mortality were collected. Comorbidities were assessed using the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Over 16 years, 35 patients aged ≥80 years with PVO and SEA were identified. Eighteen patients underwent surgical decompression ("decompression group"), and 17 underwent surgical decompression with instrumentation ("instrumentation group"). Both groups had a CCI >6 (mean±SD, 8.9±2.1 vs. 9.6±2.7, respectively; p=0.065). Instrumentation group patients had a significantly longer hospital stay but no ICU stay. In-hospital and 90-days mortality rates were similar in both groups. The mean follow-up was 26.6±12.4 months. No further surgeries were performed. Infection levels and neurological status were improved in both groups at discharge. At the second-stage analysis, significant improvements in the blood infection parameters and the neurological status were detected in the decompression group. Octogenarians with PVO and SEA have a high adverse events risk after surgical procedures. Surgical decompression might contribute to earlier clinical recovery in older patients. Thus, the surgical approach should be discussed with patients and their relatives and be carefully weighed.
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