Spondylodiscitis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Spondylodiscitis | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Rheumatology |
Spondylodiscitis is a combination of discitis (inflammation of one or more intervertebral disc spaces) and spondylitis (inflammation of one or more vertebrae), the latter generally involving the areas adjacent to the intervertebral disc space.[1]
Spondylodiscitis is the most common complication of sepsis or local infection, usually in the form of an abscess.[2] The overall incidence of infectious spondylodiscitis is estimated at around 3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year, consistent with recent epidemiological studies.[3] The main causative organisms are staphylococci, but potential organisms include a large number of bacteria, fungi, zoonoses.[2] Spondylodiscitis frequently develops in immunocompromised individuals, such as by a cancer, infection, or by immunosuppressive drugs used for organ transplantations.[2]
Diagnosis
The main methods to diagnose a spondylodiscitis are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biopsy and microbiological tests such as PCR to determine an infectious cause.[2] Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) has shown higher diagnostic accuracy (over 80%) than labeled leukocyte scintigraphy (about 50%) and is increasingly used alongside MRI in doubtful cases.[3]