Case Report
Volume: 3 | Issue: 2 | Published: Apr 01, 2019 | Pages: 65 - 67 | DOI: 10.24911/ejmcr/173-1540307083
Vertebral osteomyelitis due to an unusual pathogen: a case report
Authors: Rabindra Ghimire , Jaffer Hussain , Ahmed Abubaker , Triona Henderson , Paul Cook
Article Info
Authors
Rabindra Ghimire
Division of Infectious Diseases, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, USA
Jaffer Hussain
Division of Infectious Diseases, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, USA
Ahmed Abubaker
Division of Infectious Diseases, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, USA
Triona Henderson
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, USA
Paul Cook
Division of Infectious Diseases, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, USA
Publication History
Received: October 24, 2018
Accepted: March 03, 2019
Published: April 01, 2019
Abstract
Background: Vertebral osteomyelitis most often presents with back pain and is usually a secondary complication of a distant infection with hematogenous seeding. A source of infection is detected in about half of the cases. Burkholderia cepacia has rarely been implicated as an etiology. Case Presentation: We present a 50 year old Caucasian male with low back pain for 10 days associated with urinary incontinence without any fever or chills. He had laboratory and imaging evidence of vertebral osteomyelitis. Patient underwent bone biopsy and was diagnosed with vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis caused by Burkholderia cepacia. The patient was treated with intravenous meropenem for initial two weeks and thereafter oral ciprofloxacin and continues to do well several weeks later. Conclusion: Vertebral osteomyelitis due to B. cepacia has rarely been reported as a cause and though rare this organism should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vertebral osteomyelitis in the appropriate clinical setting.
Keywords: Vertebral osteomyelitis, Burkholderia cepacia, bone biopsy, mechanism of resistance, green