Late cervical spondylodiscitis secondary to nuchal anthrax
Keywords:
spinal infection, discitis, osteomyelitis, cervical fixation.Abstract
Instroduction: Spondylodiscitis is an infectious process of the vertebral body and the intervertebral disc. It has multifactorial etiology which requires a multidisciplinary approach. The smallest number corresponds to the cervical spine. Surgical treatment is suggested in patients with neurological defect, deformity and failure of conservative therapy.
Objective: To describe the clinical and radiological characteristics and the surgical treatment of a patient with cervical spondylodiscitis.
Case report: We report the case of a 48-year-old male patient with a history of type II diabetes mellitus. He presented nuchal anthrax and he was treated with antimicrobials. A year later, he returned to the consultation with numbness in his right arm and later it spread to the other extremities. Cervical spondylodiscitis is diagnosed at C6-C7 level. It was decided to apply surgical treatment by C6 and C7 corporectomy with iliac crest tricortical graft and place a titanium plate from C5 to D1. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the intervertebral disc and specific antibiotic treatment was continued for 6 weeks.
Conclusions: Cervical spondylodiscitis is the spinal infection with the lowest incidence. Its late appearance in an immunocompetent patient after a skin infection is highly unusual. Surgical management by means of decompression and fixation with blade and titanium screws, together with antibiotic treatment, resulted in an excellent postoperative evolution.
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References
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