include vertebral body compression fractures, dislocations, and spinal cord transections Another serious cause of spinal cord compression is epidural abscess, which is usually caused by hematogenous spread of bacteria, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus, or by direct spread from an adjacent carbuncle or vertebral osteomyelitis This is a rare (0.2 to 1.2 per 10,000 hospital admissions), but potentially devastating disease entity often unidentified until progression to severe neurologic sequelae Patients commonly present with fever and back pain, but may also have headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and bowel and bladder dysfunction In young children with epidural abscess, the constellation of symptoms may suggest meningitis or a septic hip Point tenderness may be elicited over the affected area The diagnosis is confirmed by MRI, which helps also to distinguish the abscess from a vertebral discitis Similarly, spinal cord tumors are another important cause of spinal cord compression