STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. PURPOSE: To report the prevalence of patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) tubercular spondylodiscitis and their outcomes. Additionally, to assess the role of Xpert MTB/RIF assay in early detection of MDR tuberculosis. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: MDR tuberculosis is increasing globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) has strongly recommended Xpert MTB/RIF assay for early detection of tuberculosis. METHODS: From 2006 to 2015, a retrospective study was conducted on patients treated for MDR tuberculosis of the spine. Only patients whose diagnosis was confirmed using either culture and/or the Xpert MTB/RIF assay were included. Diagnostic method, treatment regimen, time taken to initiate second-line antituberculosis treatment (ATT), drug-related complications, and cost of medications were analyzed. All patients with MDR were treated according to the WHO recommendations for 2 years. The outcome parameters analyzed included clinical, biochemical, and radiological criteria to assess healing status. RESULTS: From 2006 to 2015, a total of 730 patients were treated for tubercular spondylodiscitis. Of those, 36 had MDR tubercular spondylitis (prevalence, 4.9%), and three had extremely drug resistant tubercular spondylitis (prevalence, 0.4%). In this study, 30 patients, with a mean age of 29 years and a mean post-treatment follow-up of 24 months, were enrolled. The majority (77%) had secondary MDR, 17 (56%) underwent surgery, and 26 (87%) completed treatment for 2 years and were healed. Drug-related complications (33%) included ototoxicity, hypothyroidism, and hyperpigmentation of the skin. The average time taken for initiation of second line ATT for MDR patients with Xpert MTB/RIF assay as the diagnostic tool was 18 days, when compared to patients for whom the assay was not available which was 243 days. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MDR tubercular spondylodiscitis was 4.9%. In total, 87% of patients were healed with adequate treatment. The sensitivity and specificity of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay to detect MDR was 100% and 92.3%, respectively.
Diagnosis ; Discitis ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Hypothyroidism ; Methods ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin ; Spine ; Spondylitis ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant ; World Health Organization

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. PURPOSE: We evaluated the challenges faced during diagnosis and management of patients with subacute pyogenic discitis and discussed various clues in clinical history, radiologic and hematologic parameters of these patients that helped in establishing their diagnosis. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Present literature available shows that in patients with subacute spondylodiscitis and infection with less virulent organisms, the clinical picture often is confusing and the initial radiologic and hematologic studies do not contribute much toward establishing the diagnosis. METHODS: Demographic pattern, predisposing factors, clinical presentation, comorbidities, microbiology, treatment, neurologic recovery, and complications of 11 patients were prospectively reviewed regarding their contribution toward the conformation of diagnosis of subacute pyogenic discitis. RESULTS: Mean age at presentation was 46.0 years with average preoperative Oswestry Disability Index and Visual Analog Scale scores of 83.4 and 7.18, respectively. Mean follow-up duration was 12.0 months. The most common site of infection was the lumbar spine, followed by the thoracic spine (n=1). Infective organisms were isolated in only 45% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causative organism isolated. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosing subacute spondylodiscitis in a patient presenting with subacute low backache poses a diagnostic challenge. Clinical and radiologic picture are deceiving, and bacteriologic results often are negative, further complicating the picture. A detailed medical history along with clinical, radiologic, and biochemical parameters prevents missing the diagnosis. Serial serum C-reactive protein and alkaline phosphatases were more reliable blood parameters in cases of subacute presentation.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; C-Reactive Protein ; Causality ; Clinical Study ; Comorbidity ; Diagnosis ; Discitis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases ; Prospective Studies ; Spine ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Visual Analog Scale

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PURPOSE: To describe our experience in the management and outcomes of vertebral column osteomyelitis (VCO), particularly focusing on the risk factors of early and late mortality. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Previous reports suggest a global increase in spinal column infections highlighting significant morbidity and mortality. To date, there have been no reports from our local population, and no previous report has assessed the potential relationship of frailty with mortality in a cohort of patients with VCO. METHODS: We reviewed 76 consecutive patients with VCO between 2009 and 2016 in Waikato Hospital, New Zealand. Demographic, clinical, microbiological, and treatment data were collected. Comorbidities were noted to calculate the modified Frailty Index (mFI). Mortality at 30 days and 1 year was recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the predictors of mortality. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 64.1 years, with 77.6% being male. Most patients presented with axial back pain (71.1%), with the lumbar spine most commonly affected (46%). A mean of 2.1 vertebral bodies was involved. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism of infection (35.5%), and 15.8% of patients exhibited polymicrobial infection. Twenty patients (26.3%) underwent surgical intervention, which was more likely in patients with concomitant spinal epidural abscess (odds ratio [OR], 4.88) or spondylodiscitis (OR, 3.81). Mortality rate was 5.2% at 30 days and 22.3% at 1 year. The presence of frailty (OR, 13.62) and chronic renal failure (OR, 13.40) elevated the 30-day mortality risk only in univariate analysis. An increase in age (OR, 1.07) and the number of vertebral levels (OR, 2.30) elevated the 1-year mortality risk in both univariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Although the mFI correlated with 30-day mortality in univariate analysis, it was not a significant predictor in multivariate analysis. An increase in age and the number of levels involved elevated the 1-year mortality risk.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Cohort Studies ; Coinfection ; Comorbidity ; Discitis ; Epidural Abscess ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; New Zealand ; Osteomyelitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Spine ; Staphylococcus aureus

Candida vertebral osteomyelitis (CVO) is a rare disease that is a complication of intravenous drug use, but recently it has been recognized as mostly an opportunistic infection. Because CVO appears to mimic pyogenic spondylodiscitis in terms of the clinical and radiologic presentations, it is often neglected in a usual clinical setting. The clinical, radiological, and biological characteristics of CVO are often used to make a differential diagnosis with vertebral osteomyelitis from other etiologies. Once an initial proper diagnosis was performed, the treatment relies on the prompt initiation of appropriate pharmacotherapy and serial monitoring of the clinical progress. This paper report late-onset CVO in two young patients who underwent a heart transplant surgery and had postoperative systemic candidiasis. These two cases are a good reminder of the potential of CVO in immunosuppressive patients treated with anti-fungal agents. This paper presents these two cases with a review of the relevant literature.
Candida ; Candidiasis ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Discitis ; Drug Therapy ; Heart Transplantation ; Heart ; Humans ; Opportunistic Infections ; Osteomyelitis ; Population Characteristics ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.
Discitis* ; Low Back Pain*

OBJECTIVE: Spondylitis is often chemotherapy resistant and requires long-term treatment. Without adequate chemotherapy, the outcome can be fatal or result in severe neurologic damage. Therefore, differentiating the etiology of spondylitis is very important, particularly in spontaneous cases. As the prevalence of tuberculosis in Korea has decreased in recent years, updated clinical research about spondylitis is warranted.METHODS: From April 2010 to March 2016, data from spondylitis patients were collected retrospectively. In total, 69 patients (51 with pyogenic spondylitis and 18 with tuberculous spondylitis) were included. Clinical data, laboratory findings including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level, measurements of Cobb angles at the initial and final follow-up, and radiologic features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were evaluated. To test differences between the pyogenic and tuberculous groups, numerical data were compared using the student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney U test, and categorical data were compared using the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test.RESULTS: The patients’ mean age was 60.0 years. Male sex was slightly predominant (56.5%). There was no difference in mean age and sex between the two groups. The pyogenic group had a relatively higher proportion of immunocompromised patients. The peak CRP value was higher in the pyogenic group than in the tuberculous group (14.08 mg/dL and 8.50 mg/dL, respectively, p=0.009), whereas the ESR was not significantly different between the groups (81.5 mm/h and 75.6 mm/h, respectively, p=0.442). Radiologically, the presence of disc space sparing and vertebral body collapse differed between the groups. In the tuberculous group, the disc was more commonly preserved on contrast-enhanced MRI (50% and 23.5%, respectively, p=0.044), and vertebral body collapse was more common (66.6% and 15.7%, respectively, p < 0.001). The mean length of hospitalization was longer in the pyogenic group (56.5 days and 41.2 days, respectively, p=0.001). Four mortality cases were observed only in the pyogenic group. The most commonly isolated microorganism in the pyogenic group was Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (methicillin susceptible S. aureus and methicillin resistant S. aureus [MRSA] in 8 and 4 cases, respectively).CONCLUSION: The clinical and radiological manifestations of spontaneous spondylitis differ based on the causative organism. Pyogenic spondylitis patients tend to have a higher CRP level and a more severe clinical course, whereas tuberculous spondylitis patients present with destruction of the vertebral body with disc sparing more frequently. The presence of MRSA is increasing in community-acquired spondylitis cases.
Bacterial Infections ; Blood Sedimentation ; Bone Diseases, Infectious ; C-Reactive Protein ; Discitis ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Mortality ; Osteomyelitis ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Spondylitis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tuberculosis

STUDY DESIGN: Case report OBJECTIVES: We report a case of surgically proven tophaceous gout of the lumbar spine at the L5-S1 level in a 43-year-old man that mimicked infectious spondylodiscitis and epidural abscess on magnetic resonance (MR) images. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Some patients have chronic back pain with an epidural mass. Among the many causes of epidural masses, tophaceous gout of the lumbar spine is very rare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 43-year-old man presented with fever and chronic back pain with radiating pain. In an MR image of L4-5, an abnormal subcutaneous mass was found in the posterior epidural space. The subcutaneous mass was isointense on T1-weighted images compared with the intervertebral disc, and focally and strongly hyperintense and heterogeneous on T2-weighted images. After the intravenous administration of gadolinium contrast, the mass was fairly homogenous, with a low signal intensity and without enhancement. With the diagnosis of infective spondylitis with epidural abscess, we performed a decompressive mass resection. RESULTS: The pathologic examination revealed multinuclear giant cells and amorphous crystalline fibrous tissue. The lesion was diagnosed as tophaceous gout. CONCLUSIONS: This case underscores the importance of considering tophaceous gout in the differential diagnosis of an epidural mass in a patient with chronic back pain.
Administration, Intravenous ; Adult ; Back Pain ; Crystallins ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Discitis ; Epidural Abscess ; Epidural Space ; Fever ; Gadolinium ; Giant Cells ; Gout ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spine ; Spondylitis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and the patterns of postoperative spinal infection according to the passage of time. METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained, and informed consent was not obtained for the retrospective review of patients’ medical records. A total of 43 patients (27 men and 16 women; mean age, 64) diagnosed with postoperative spinal infection were included in this study. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI findings and the medical records and categorized the infection sites based on MRI, i.e., anterior, posterior, and both parts. The duration of the clinical onset from surgery was divided, i.e., acute (≤2 weeks), subacute (2–4 weeks), and late (>4 weeks). RESULTS: Postoperative spinal infection was involved in the posterior part in 31 (72%), anterior part in two (4.7%), and both parts in 10 patients (23.3%). Abscess or phlegmon in the back muscles and laminectomy site were the most common MRI findings. The number of patients with acute, subacute, and late clinical onset were 35, two, and six, respectively (mean, 33.4 days; range, 1–730 days). The mean duration of the clinical onset was 12 days in the posterior part, 15.2 days in both parts, and 456.5 days in the anterior part. CONCLUSION: Postoperative spinal infection usually occurred within four weeks in the posterior part and over time the infection was considered to spread into the anterior part. For the evaluation of postoperative spinal infection, the posterior surgical field was more important than the vertebral body or the disc space on MRI.
Abscess ; Back Muscles ; Cellulitis ; Discitis ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Female ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Laminectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Spondylitis

Spondylodiscitis is believed to be caused by an infection that affects vertebral bodies and the intervening intervertebral disc. Usually, typical spondylodiscitis involves a mobile vertebra-disc-vertebra unit, and in most cases, the condition is managed successfully by surgical intervention and intravenous antibiotic therapy. Here, the authors report an unusual case of a spondylodiscitis presenting as a skip lesion, which progressed from L4/L5 to L1/L2, despite open surgical biopsy and empirical intravenous antibiotics. Possible pathogenic mechanisms of this unique case are discussed and a review of the pertinent literature is included.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Discitis* ; Intervertebral Disc

A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with complaints of low back pain and intermittent right thigh pain. Twelve weeks before admission, the patient received intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) at a local hospital. The patient still reported low back pain after the procedure that was managed with narcotic analgesics. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, and his referring physician thought the likely diagnosis was spondylodiscitis at the L4–5 spinal segment with a small epidural abscess. At admission to our department, the patient reported aggravated low back pain. Blood test results, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels, were slightly elevated. Biopsy samples of the L4, L5 vertebral bodies and disk were obtained. The material underwent aerobic, anaerobic, fungal, mycobacterial cultures and histologic examination. Results of all cultures were negative. Histologically, necrosis of the bone was evident from the number of empty osteocyte lacunae. In addition, there was no evidence of infection based on biopsy results. No antibiotic treatment was administered on discharge. Repeat computed tomography and MRI performed 12 months after IDET showed a bony defect in the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies, and a decrease in the size of the L4–5 intervertebral disc lesion. We report a case of lumbar vertebral osteonecrosis induced by IDET and discuss etiology and radiologic features.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Diagnosis ; Discitis ; Epidural Abscess ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Narcotics ; Necrosis ; Osteocytes ; Osteonecrosis* ; Spine* ; Thigh