Infection of disk space secondary to fistula from pelvic abscess.

Disk space sepsis is a recognized complication of spinal surgery, but infection by a penetrating fistula from a retroperitoneal or pelvic abscess is rare. The lack of localizing symptoms, the insidious disease process, and the clinical and myelographic findings simulating a herniated disk syndrome obscure the true diagnosis and make identification of the primary infection difficult. A good result was obtained in this case by laminectomy and drainage of the lumbosacral disk space, followed by a diagnostic fistulogram and evacuation of a large pelvic abscess.