Candida albicans lumbar spondylodiscitis in an intravenous drug user: a case report

BMC Research Notes

Hua-Cheng Yen²  Wei Liang Chen¹  Chang-Hua Chen³ 

[1] Department of Medical Imaging, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan;Department of Neurosurgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan;College of Medicine & Nursing, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan

关键词: Fungal infection;    Vertebral osteomyelitis;    Spine;    Lumbar spondylodiscitis;    Candida albicans;   

Others  :  1140498
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-0500-6-529

 received in 2013-08-30, accepted in 2013-12-04,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Spondylodiscitis leads to debility, and few data exist on Candida spondylodiscitis in patients with intravenous drug use.

Case presentation

We present a case of Candida albicans lumbar spondylodiscitis in a patient with intravenous drug use. This patient was treated with surgical debridement and 9 months of fluconazole therapy, and the neurological deficits resolved completely. The infection did not recur clinically or radiologically during 9 months of follow-up.

Conclusion

Although Candida albicans lumbar spondylodiscitis is rare, Candida should be suspected as a causative pathogen in patients with intravenous drug use except for Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. As soon as Candida albicans lumbar spondylodiscitis is suspected, magnetic resonance imaging and percutaneous biopsy should be performed. Surgical intervention combined with treatment with antifungal medications can successfully eradicate the infection and resolve the neurological deficits.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Chen et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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