This morning we discussed a case of fever with back pain and our differential included epidural abscess.
If you're thinking about an epidural abscess, you need to image the spine. MRI is the best modality as it is sensitive to pick early signs of inflammation. CT with IV contrast is an acceptable alternative if MRI is not available. Plain X-ray may show changes of advanced osteomyelitis or discitis but is not used to diagnose an epidural abscess.
Here is a previous post and a reference on Epidural Abscesses.
