Study design: A study correlating protein S-100b serum levels with postoperative functional outcome in patients with spinal cord compression resulting from epidural empyema.
Objectives: To evaluate the potential value of protein S-100b for prediction of individual functional outcome in medullary lesions resulting from spinal epidural empyema.
Summary of background data: Despite modern medical advances, a reliable individual prediction of functional outcome in case of spinal epidural empyema is still not possible.
Methods: Forming two outcome groups, clinical outcome following surgery was considered to be favorable in case of neurologic improvement with preservation or retrieval of walking ability, whereas nonimprovement without restoration of gait function was regarded to be unfavorable. Venous blood samples for protein S-100b were taken from all patients immediately after admission and regularly after operative decompression. Initial levels of S-100b were correlated with preoperative degree and duration of paresis, and the individual time course of S-100b measurements was correlated with clinical outcome.
Results: The initial level of protein S-100b is not correlated with preoperative degree and duration of paresis or with functional outcome. The individual time course of S-100b measurements, however, is different in both outcome groups. Levels of protein S-100b that were either always normal or that were initially increased but normalized rapidly within 3 days were invariably associated with retrieval of gait function, whereas none of those patients recovered in whom increased levels of S-100b persisted beyond the third postoperative day (P < 0.003).
Conclusions: Protein S-100b might be a promising serum marker with prognostic significance in the event of spinal cord compression resulting from epidural empyema.