Abstract

DANZA GALDO, Álvaro; ROCA ERRANDONEA, Federico  and  BATISTA RAGO, Ignacio. Infectious Spondylodiscitis In the Hospital de Clínicas: Analysis of 10 cases - 1997-2007 period. Arch. Med Int [online]. 2010, vol.32, n.1, pp.9-12. ISSN 0250-3816.

Introduction: Spondylodicitis is an unfrequent disease. Its clinical presentation and recognition may be unclear and could take long periods of time before diagnosis is achieved. Objective: To know the clinical features of a series of patients with infectious spondylodiscitis in the Hospital de Clinicas, “Dr Manuel Quintela” (HC). Methodology: We analyzed clinical records of hospitalized patients with spondylodiscitis in the HC (1/01/97 and 31/07/07). Presumption diagnosis was established based on clinical, laboratory and imagenology. Confirmed case: bacterial isolation obtained from blood or spinal puncture cultures. Exclusion criteria: Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolation. We analyzed clinical manifestations, etiology and outcomes. Results: 10 cases were identified in this period, 7 male, mean age 53,8 years. Low back pain was the most frequent (7/10) symptom. The agent was isolated in 9 cases. The most frequent etiology was Staphylococcus spp. Discussion: As described in other series, spondylodiscitis is not a frequent disease and its diagnosis is difficult. Fever was uncommon and leukocyte count was mildly elevated. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate elevation appears to be an important indicator but not specific.

Keywords : Spondylodiscitis; Vertebral osteomyelitis; Staphylococcus aureus.

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