Vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural abscess caused by gas gangrene presenting with complete paraplegia: a case report

Journal of Medical Case Reports

Yoichi Shimada²  Kazuma Kikuchi¹  Toshiki Abe¹  Eiji Abe¹  Naohisa Miyakoshi²  Takashi Kobayashi¹  Manabu Akagawa¹ 

[1] Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Akita Kousei Medical Center, 1-1-1 Iijima-Nishifukuro, Akita 011-0948, Japan;Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita 010-8543, Japan

关键词: Vertebral osteomyelitis;    Gas gangrene;    Fusion surgery;    Epidural abscess;    Debridement;    Clostridium perfringens;   

Others  :  1180756
DOI  :  10.1186/s13256-015-0567-y

 received in 2014-10-22, accepted in 2015-03-04,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Introduction

Gas gangrene is most often caused by Clostridium perfringens infection. Gas gangrene is a medical emergency that develops suddenly. The mortality rate is higher with trunk involvement than with involvement of the extremities, which carries a better prognosis. With respect to vertebral involvement, there are few reports in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to report a very rare case of vertebral osteomyelitis caused by gas gangrene.

Case presentation

A 78-year-old Japanese woman with diabetes mellitus was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaints of back pain, dysuria, and complete paralysis of both legs. A computed tomography scan showed soft tissue swelling anterolaterally at intervertebral disc level T11/12 and a gas-containing epidural abscess that compressed her spinal cord. Cultures later grew Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli. Hemilaminectomy was done from T10 to T12, and an epidural abscess was removed. She went on to have fusion surgery 6 weeks after the initial operation and subsequently experienced complete pain relief. She was discharged 2 months later, at which time she was able to walk with a cane. Examination 18 months after surgery showed normal gait without a cane.

Conclusions

Discitis caused by gas gangrene infection was successfully treated by immediate debridement and subsequent fusion surgery.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Akagawa et al.; licensee BioMed Central.

【 图 表 】

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