Spondylodiscitis
| Spondylodiscitis | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Rheumatology |
Spondylodiscitis is a combination of
vertebrae), the latter generally involving the areas adjacent to the intervertebral disc space.[1]
Causes
Spondylodiscitis is the most common complication of
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]
Treatment
Approximately 90% of cases can be treated conservatively.[3] In the absence of spinal cord/nerve root compression and lack of data on instability of the inflamed segment, conservative treatment with:
- Antibiotics - empirical treatment should start AFTER biopsy material for microbiological testing is obtained (PMID 27082590). The following empirical treatment may be administered for a total of 6 weeks (PMID 26872859): - Ceftriaxone 2x2g and Clindamycin 3x600mg i.v. for 2 weeks - Ciprofloxacin 2x500mg and Clindamycin 4x300mg p.o. for 4 more weeks If the pathogen can be identified - antibiotic treatment should be adapted to the susceptibilities of the microorganism.
- Bed rest
References
- ISBN 3-540-69963-5.
- ^ PMID 18837241.
- ^ "SPONDYLODISCITIS".