We report a case of Aspergillus terreus discitis which developed in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia following induction chemotherapy. A. terreus was isolated from sputum, one month earlier, but the physician did not consider it significant at the time. Magnetic resonance imaging study showed the involvement of L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 intervertebral discs. Etiology was established by means of histology and culturing a surgical specimen of disc materials. Our patient survived after a surgical debridement and amphotericin B administration with a total dose of 2.0 g. Discitis caused by Aspergillus terreus is a very rare event. A. terreus is one of the invasive Aspergillus species. The pathogenetic mechanism is discussed and the literature is reviewed.
Aspergillosis/surgery ; Aspergillosis/pathology ; Aspergillosis/microbiology* ; Aspergillosis/drug therapy ; Aspergillosis/complications ; Aspergillus/isolation & purification ; Aspergillus/classification ; Journal Article ; Discitis/surgery ; Discitis/pathology ; Discitis/microbiology* ; Discitis/drug therapy ; Human ; Intervertebral Disk/surgery ; Intervertebral Disk/pathology ; Intervertebral Disk/microbiology* ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Acute/microbiology ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Acute/drug therapy ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Acute/complications* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae/pathology ; Lumbar Vertebrae/microbiology*

OBJECTIVEIn order to sum up the experience of diagnosis and treatment, the clinical information, diagnostic approach and treatment strategies from 23 patients with hematogenous pyogenic discitis and vertebral osteomyelitis (PDVO) in adults were reviewed.

METHODSA retrospective record review was conducted of all cases of hematogenous PDVO from July 1999 to October 2006, the diagnostic approach and the treatment strategies were discussed.

RESULTSThe average age was 55.4 years. The average delayed diagnosis time was 4.4 months (range, 4 weeks to 11 months). Of these, 17 had underlying diseases such as diabetes mellitus, chronic alcoholism, liver cirrhosis, rheumatic disease, and the use of corticosteroids. All percent had elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates and C-reactive proteins, while white blood cell counts were less reliably elevated. Imaging studies included radiographs and MRI. Seven patients were treated with immobilization and intravenous antibiotic drugs. Because of a delay in diagnosis, 16 patients underwent operative treatment for hematogenous PDVO using staged anterior debridement and Bone grafting with iliac crest or rib strut, anterior spinal instrumentation in 3 patients, posterior instrumentation was placed in 7 patients at a second procedure 10 days to 2 weeks following initial operation. Twenty-three patients were followed-up for an average period of 27 months, with a minimum of 6 months and the longest for 7 years. The patients return to their preoperative everyday activity. No patient had a recurrence of osteomyelitis. All their symptoms improved after surgery, bony fusion occurred in 87.5% of cases.

CONCLUSIONSAdult hematogenous PDVO is a disease that affects mainly older patients suffering underlying medical illnesses. Positive blood cultures is valuable for the diagnosis. Hematogenous PDVO may require surgery in case of a development of biomechanical instability and/or a vertebral collapse with progressive deformity. In experienced hands, surgical debridement, interbody fusion, and anterior or posterior instrumentation is a safe and effective treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Discitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteomyelitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Infective spondylodiscitis usually occurs in patients of older age, immunocompromisation, co-morbidity, and individuals suffering from an overall poor general condition unable to undergo reconstructive anterior and posterior surgeries. Therefore, an alternative, less aggressive surgical method is needed for these select cases of infective spondylodiscitis. This retrospective clinical case series reports our novel surgical technique for the treatment of infective spondylodiscitis. METHODS: Between January 2005 and July 2011, among 48 patients who were diagnosed with pyogenic lumbar spondylodiscitis or tuberculosis lumbar spondylodiscitis, 10 patients (7 males and 3 females; 68 years and 48 to 78 years, respectively) underwent transpedicular curettage and drainage. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 29 months (range, 7 to 61 months). The pedicle screws were inserted to the adjacent healthy vertebrae in the usual manner. After insertion of pedicle screws, the drainage pedicle holes were made through pedicles of infected vertebra(e) in order to prevent possible seeding of infective emboli to the healthy vertebra, as the same instruments and utensils are used for both pedicle screws and the drainage holes. A minimum of 15,000 mL of sterilized normal saline was used for continuous irrigation through the pedicular pathways until the drained fluid looked clear. RESULTS: All patients' symptoms and inflammatory markers significantly improved clinically between postoperative 2 weeks and postoperative 3 months, and they were satisfied with their clinical results. Radiologically, all patients reached the spontaneous fusion between infected vertebrae and 3 patients had the screw pulled-out but they were clinically tolerable. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that our method of transpedicular curettage and drainage is a useful technique in regards to the treatment of infectious spondylodiscitic patients, who could not tolerate conventional combined anterior and posterior surgery due to multiple co-morbidities, multiple level infectious lesions and poor general condition.
Aged ; Bone Screws ; Curettage/*methods ; Discitis/blood/microbiology/*surgery ; Drainage/*methods ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation/blood ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis, Spinal/blood/microbiology/surgery

The effect and safety of anterior debridement and fusion with a minimally invasive approach combined with posterior fixation via the Wiltse approach were assessed in the single-level lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Seventeen patients from 2007 to 2009 underwent anterior debridement and fusion with a minimally invasive approach combined with posterior fixation via the Wiltse approach. Postoperative follow-up time was 24-41 months. Data included the patients' general information, microbiology, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, intervertebral fusion rate, and preoperative and final follow-up scores for American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment, visual analogue scale (VAS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Ten patients had undergone a prior spinal invasive procedure, and 7 had hematogenous infection. The infected segments included L1-2, L2-3, L3-4, and L4-5 in 1, 2, 5, and 9 cases, respectively. Thirteen bacterial cultures were positive for Staphylococcus aureus (5 cases), Staphylococcus epidermidis (4), Streptococcus (3), and Escherichia coli (1). The operative time was 213.8±45.6 min, and the intraoperative blood loss was 180.6±88.1 mL. Postoperative complications consisted of urinary retention (2 cases), constipation (3), and deep vein thrombosis (2). On the final follow-up, VAS scores and ODIs were significantly lower than those of preoperation, while the ASIA grades improved. All the cases achieved good intervertebral bony fusion. Anterior debridement and fusion with a minimally invasive approach combined with posterior fixation via the Wiltse approach can successfully treat single-level lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis, with less trauma and reliable immobilization. It is a viable option for clinical application.
Adult ; Aged ; Back Pain ; complications ; prevention & control ; Bacterial Infections ; complications ; microbiology ; Constipation ; etiology ; Debridement ; adverse effects ; methods ; Disability Evaluation ; Discitis ; complications ; surgery ; Escherichia coli ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; microbiology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; methods ; Pain Measurement ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; adverse effects ; methods ; Staphylococcus aureus ; isolation & purification ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus ; isolation & purification ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Retention ; etiology ; Venous Thrombosis ; etiology