A successful antimicrobial therapeutic strategy for the discitis caused by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans under unknown drug susceptibility: A case report

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is well-known as the pathogen of gingivitis or periodontitis, and discitis or vertebral osteomyelitis cases caused by this organism have rarely been reported. Ampicillin or amoxicillin has been used in the previously reported discitis cases; however, no cases have been reported that is treated with levofloxacin. We report the first published case we chose levofloxacin to treat. We failed to perform the susceptibility testing because of the poor growth and fastidious nature of the organism, and the result of susceptibility of amoxicillin was unclear. Levofloxacin, which A. actinomycetemcomitans is usually susceptible to, can be an effective alternative oral antimicrobial agent in such cases.     

Rheumatic manifestations of infective endocarditis

Summary Rheumatic manifestations are common and varied in infective endocarditis. We performed a retrospecitive case analysis on 87 patients with 93 episodes of infective endocarditis admitted to Flinders Medical Centre over an 11 year period (1980–1990). Disabling musculoskeletal symptoms and signs were documented in 22 (25%) of the patients. Thirteen patients developed severe or moderately severe low back pain during their illness, two with radiological evidence of a septic discitis or vertebral osteomyelitis. Two patients developed polyarthralgia/arthritis, four had septic arthritis (all with acute Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis), three developed severe loin pain, two acute gout, two had severe buttock pain and sacroiliac joint tenderness and two each developed disabling jaw/facial pain, neck/scapular pain and flank pain respectively. Five patients presented initially to the orthopaedic or rheumatological unit for management of their musculoskeletal symptoms. Four of seven patients with Streptococcus bovis endocarditis demonstrated prominent low back pain supporting a previously noted association between this organism and back symptoms. Furthermore, in one patient who had three separate episodes of endocarditis involving three different organisms, florid back symptoms were only seen in the infective episode involving Streptococcus bovis.     

Spinal disorders in childhood I: painful disorders

Back pain and spinal deformity are the most common presenting complaints of spinal disorders in childhood seen in a specialist orthopaedic spinal clinic. Many of the patients referred will have non-specific back pain, yet there are a multitude of significant and sinister pathologies of the spine along with extraspinal causes that should be considered and sought. Similarly most deformities will be either minor or idiopathic, yet specific underlying causes need to be excluded. The cornerstone of safe practice is a detailed, thorough and targeted history and examination. This article focuses on painful disorders.     

Spondylodiscitis by drug-multiresistant bacteria: a single-center experience of 25 cases

Background contextAlthough the incidence of pyogenic spinal infections is increasing, the ideal treatment of spondylodiscitis is still a controversially discussed issue. Furthermore, the proportion of multiresistant bacteria in spondylodiscitis is increasing, and treatment recommendations or reported results are missing for this especially difficult subset of patients.PurposeThe aim of this study is to evaluate the surgical outcome and the postoperative antibacterial treatment regime.Study designRetrospective case series.Patient samplePatients treated for a spondylodiscitis from multiresistant bacteria at our department between 2006 and 2011.MethodsData were gathered through review of patients' case notes, relevant imaging, and electronic records. Magnetic resonance imaging of the whole spine including gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced T1 sequences and computed tomography scans of the affected regions were obtained in all cases.Outcome measuresC-reactive protein (CRP) and complete blood cell count were analyzed in all cases using routine laboratory techniques. Neurologic deficits were classified according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale.ResultsTwenty-five patients were identified (15 gram-positive and 10 gram-negative drug-multiresistant bacteria). The mean age at presentation was 66 years, and 14 patients were male (56%). All patients presented with pain, and a neurologic deficit was present in 11 (44%) cases. An epidural abscess was found in 11 (44%) cases. At admission, CRP was elevated in all cases with a mean of 13±9.2 mg/dL. The main source of infection was previous spine surgery (36%). All patients in this series underwent surgical debridement of the infection and instrumentation of the spine. Postoperative intravenous antibiotics were administered for 19±8.6 days followed by 3±0.3 months of oral antibiotic therapy. Eradication of the infection was achieved ultimately in all surviving patients. Out of 11 patients with neurologic deficits, 4 had a full recovery, 4 improved incompletely, and 3 remained unchanged after surgery.ConclusionsStaged surgical immobilization and instrumentation and optimal debridement at the interdiscal space and spinal canal is a reliable approach to achieve complete healing of spinal infection with multiresistant bacteria. A period of intravenous antibiotic therapy of 2 to 3 weeks followed by a 3-month oral antibiotic therapy seems appropriate for most cases.     

Pyogenic discitis due to Abiotrophia adiacens

INTRODUCTIONAbiotrophia species have been referred to as nutritionally variant streptococci because of their fastidious nutritional requirements for growth. Abiotrophia species are difficult to identify with conventional solid culture.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 48-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with severe low back pain and body temperature of 38.2 °C. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed edema and contrast enhancement of the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies with high signal intensity in the L3-4 and L4-5 intervertebral discs on the T2-weighted images. The patient underwent needle biopsy of the L3-4 disk. Cultures of disk biopsy samples and blood yielded gram positive cocci in short chains with scanty growth on chocolate agar. Further subculture with supplemented medium and subsequent 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing identified the pathogen as Abiotrhophia adiacens. The patient was treated with intravenous ampicillin. At 6-month follow-up, the patient was free of symptoms.DISCUSSIONCausative microorganisms remain unidentified in 25–40% of spinal infection cases. Abiotrophia species grow poorly on conventional solid media, and require pyridoxal or thiol group supplementation. Use of Brucella HK agar or GAM agar plate is helpful for detection of Abiotrophia species. We first confirmed the diagnosis by direct identification of Abiotrophia adiacens from infected disk. Abiotrophia species are one of the major pathogens of infective endocarditis accounting for 5% of cases. Considering their fastidious nature, it is likely that most cases of Abiotrophia discitis are falsely classified as culture-negative discitis; therefore, their role in pyogenic discitis may be underestimated.CONCLUSIONSubculture using nutritionally supplemented media is crucial for their identification.     

骨关节结核的影像诊断与误诊分析

目的 提高对骨关节结核影像学表现的认识，避免误诊。方法 回顾性分析38例术前诊断骨关节结核的手术病理资料及影像学资料。结果 本组术前影像学均诊断为骨关节结核，X线表现为骨质破坏、骨质疏松及相应部位软组织肿胀。CT表现为骨质破坏伴骨硬化缘环绕、死骨，冷脓肿形成及脓肿壁钙化。MRI表现为椎体骨炎、骨质破坏，或椎间盘破坏、椎间盘裂隙状强化及椎旁脓肿形成。手术病理证实33例为结核病变，诊断符合率86．8％，其中脊柱结核20例，髋关节结核5例，腕关节、膝关节、踝关节、骶髂关节结核各2例。结论 骨关节结核的影像学表现有相对的特征性，合理选择影像学检查方法对提高骨关节结核的正确诊断率大有帮助。     

椎间盘炎的MRI诊断(附10例报告)

目的：总结椎间盘炎的ＭＲＩ表现。方法：复习１０例经病理和临床证实的ＭＲＩ表现，其中５例是血源性感染，５例是手术后或椎间盘穿刺术后椎间盘炎。９例的病变部位在腰椎，１例在颈椎。所有病人都进行了Ｇｄ－ＤＴＰＡ前后的Ｔ１ＷＩ和Ｔ２ＷＩ扫描。结果：ＭＲＩ表现包括：①椎间隙变窄，Ｔ２像呈高或低信号，Ｔ１像呈低或等信号。髓核内裂隙消失。②两个椎体的邻近部分由于充血和水肿而呈长Ｔ１长Ｔ２弛豫时间，终板侵蚀和终板下松质骨有小的脓肿。③椎旁软组织肿胀。④注射Ｇｄ－ＤＴＰＡ后椎间隙和邻近的椎体信号强度明显增强。结论：ＭＲＩ对椎间盘炎的诊断非常有用，并且还能显示象蛛网膜炎这样严重的并发症     

一期后路病灶清除椎间融合内固定治疗重症腰椎间盘炎

目的:探讨一期病灶清除椎间植骨融合内固定治疗重症腰椎间盘炎的效果。方法:2005年12月～2010年12月对经保守治疗无效的5例原发、11例继发椎间盘炎患者采用经后路椎间病灶清除、椎间钛质cage支撑、同种异体骨植骨融合、椎弓根内固定手术治疗。采用视觉模拟评分法(VAS)评估患者术前及术后第1、7、14天及末次随访时的疼痛程度。通过监测患者手术前后血沉(ESR)及C-反应蛋白(CRP)的变化来评估病情的转归。通过术后X线片来评估脊柱的稳定性和植骨融合情况。结果:患者术后即感腰腿痛明显缓解,床上能自行翻身,术前腰腿痛VAS评分为8.25±2.21分,术后VAS评分第1天为4.36±2.43分,第7天为2.59±2.13分,第14天为2.38±1.13分,末次随访时为1.88±1.21分。所有患者的VAS评分术后明显低于术前,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),术后第7、14天及末次随访时VAS评分明显低于术后第1天,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。术后第7、14天及末次随访时VAS评分间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。4例患者术后出现血沉升高,3d后逐渐下降,所有病例CRP术后均明显下降,2～4周时ESR和CRP恢复正常(ESR<15mm/h,CRP<8mg/L)。所有患者术后切口无感染。随诊6～24个月,平均13个月,所有患者腰腿痛消失,病变椎间隙在6～12个月均达骨性融合。结论:后路病灶清除椎间融合内固定治疗重症腰椎间盘炎能迅速缓解腰腿痛,重建脊柱稳定性,是治疗重症椎间盘炎的有效手段之一。     

Virulence gene and expression analysis of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus causing iliopsoas abscess and discitis with thrombocytopenia

Iliopsoas abscesses (IPAs) from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are rare; however, IPAs from community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) may be increasing. In Japan, we previously described an adolescent athlete case of Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive ST30 CA-MRSA (strain NN12). In this study, we describe an IPA and discitis case from a variant of the successful PVL-negative CA-MRSA clone (ST8 CA-MRSA/J) in Japan. The patient was a 62-year-old man with intractable eczema, who had been diagnosed with IPAs and discitis (L1–L2). CA-MRSA (strain NN55) was isolated from blood, pus, and joint fluid. The invasive infections seemed to have originated in his intractable eczema, and the characteristics of this case, systemic myalgia and marked thrombocytopenia, seemed to have been caused by an exotoxin. Molecular genetic analysis revealed that NN55 possessed genotype ST8/spa606(t1767)/agr1/CoaIII and SCCmecIV of a novel subtype (encoding new cell-wall-anchored surface protein/J [CWASP/J]), exhibited enhanced expression of the cytolytic peptide genes, psmα and hld, and was resistant to gentamicin (caused by aacA-aphD), similar to ST8 CA-MRSA/J; however, NN55 lacked pathogenicity island SaPIj50 [carrying tst, encoding toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1)] of ST8 CA-MRSA/J, suggesting a variant (ST8 CA-MRSA/Jv). Strains NN12 and NN55 both caused bacteremia, IPAs, and adjacent musculoskeletal infections, preceded by intractable skin infections, and possessed high potential for adherence and enhanced expression of psmα and hld. The data suggest the role of a combination of CA-MRSA adhesin/cytolytic peptides (not PVL or TSST-1) in the pathogenesis of IPAs (and perhaps of systemic myalgia and marked thrombocytopenia).