21 May 2026
: Case report 
Ventral Cervical Epidural Abscess Presenting as a Stroke Mimic With Paradoxical Thoracic Sensory Level: Diagnostic Challenges and Multimodal Management
Challenging differential diagnosis, Rare disease
I-Fang Yang BCDEF 1, Chung-Yao Yin B 1, Kai-Hsiang Chang CD 2, Fu-Yao Xiao B 1, Fu-Chi Yang ADEF 1*DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.952372
Am J Case Rep 2026; 27:e952372
Figure 3 Six-week postoperative cervical spine MRI(A) Post-laminectomy sagittal T1-weighted post-contrast image shows interval decrease of the epidural abscess with residual subligamentous inflammatory change along the anterior longitudinal ligament from C4 to C6 (yellow arrow) and enhancement of the C5–6 vertebral bodies with adjacent disc/endplate inflammatory enhancement (yellow arrowhead), consistent with spondylodiscitis and vertebral osteomyelitis. (B) Axial T1-weighted post-contrast image shows persistent marrow edema and enhancement of the C5–C6 vertebral bodies (yellow asterisk), consistent with vertebral osteomyelitis.