A Rare Case of Vertebral Osteomyelitis Developing After Enterococcal Bacteremia in a Geriatric Patient

Abstract

© 2014 by Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis are rare entities. Although enterococci are a major cause of bacteremia and infective endocarditis, hematogenous enterococcal vertebral osteomyelitis has rarely been reported. In this article, a geriatric case is presented who had visited our hospital with complaints of “distorting back pain” and weakness in the legs and who had been diagnosed with vertebral osteomyelitis caused by enterococcus faecalis. In this case, the lesion of the patient was not distinguished from the metastasis with imaging studies, and the definitive diagnosis was confirmed by open tissue biopsy. As a result, bacteremic patients with back pain must be considered for vertebral osteomyelitis/discitis. Although imaging with MRI or a tissue biopsy will be helpful to confirm the diagnosis, open tissue biopsy and bone biopsy are more effective and crucial options for making a definitive diagnosis in some cases.