SIR,-Mr Flood and others are correct in what they write, but their discussion of spinal infection
covers only part of the clinical problem. They have assumed that "spinal infection" means osteomyelitis
of the spine, whereas the commonest infective cause of paraplegia is extradural spinal
abscess, as in the case we reported. In such patients there are usually no changes on the plain
radio- graphs, no osteomyelitis, and the abscess is diffusely distributed through the epidural
space. Laminectomy and drainage are the correct treatment for extradural spinal abscess