ct guided biopsy

Epidemiology

M:F =2:1

30-40 years

20% diabetic

50-80% identifiable source

Site

Lumbar (50%) > Thoracic > Cervical (<10%)

Pathogenesis

1.  Haematogenous

- arterial rather than venous

Risk factors

- UTI (40% of all cases)

- IVDU

- elderly

Definition

Pus collection in the epidural space

Epidemiology

Usually haemotogenous seeding

Very rare

- 37 / 1 000 000 patients with LBP

- 1 /10 000 admissions

- most common in old men

Average age 68 years

3/4 males

Rare in paediatrics