Intramedullary abscesses are uncommon with a prevalent incidence in childhood and adolescence. Prognosis is not always favourable. Management entails a combined surgical and medical approach with long-term drug therapy. We describe a patient with rapidly progressive hemiparesis and MR findings of an undefined intramedullary expanding lesion in the cervical spine. Rapid evolution of clinical symptoms, and brain MR disclosing meningitis suggested an abscess, subsequently confirmed by histological analysis.
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