Candia albicans lumbar spondylodiscitis contiguous to infected abdominal aortic aneurysm in an intravenous drug user

April 16, 2021

. 2021 Apr 14;14(4):e241493.

doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-241493.

Affiliations

Item in Clipboard

Tsuyoshi Yamada et al.

BMJ Case Rep.

2021.

Abstract

While the incidence of spondylodiscitis is rising because of longer life expectancy and the increasing use of immunosuppressant drug, indwelling devices and spinal surgeries, the fungal aetiology remains rare, sometimes affecting intravenous drug users. Candida spondylodiscitis is an extremely rare complication post aortic aneurysm repair. It is potentially fatal due to the risk of aneurysm rupture and septic complications. The growing problem of systemic diseases caused by Candida species reflects the enormous increase of patients at risk. The treatment of this complicated entity is challenging and often requiring a multidisciplinary team. We reported the rare case of Candida spondylodiscitis contiguous to infected aortic aneurysm in a 74-year-old male intravenous drug user, to the extent which the vertebral body bony destruction progressed to need one-stage posterior and anterior spinal fusion surgery with curettage. Our surgical intervention combined with prolonged course of antifungal therapy could successfully eradicate the infection and resolve the neurological deficits.

Keywords:

bone and joint infections; neurosurgery; orthopaedics.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Similar articles

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

Chen CH, Chen WL, Yen HC.
Chen CH, et al.
BMC Res Notes. 2013 Dec 11;6:529. doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-6-529.
BMC Res Notes. 2013.

PMID: 24325945
Free PMC article.
Polysegmental spondylodiscitis and concomitant aortic aneurysm rupture: case report with 3-year follow-up period.

Miltner O, Kisielinski K, Chalabi K, Niedhart C, Siebert CH.
Miltner O, et al.
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2002 Oct 1;27(19):E423-7. doi: 10.1097/00007632-200210010-00023.
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2002.

PMID: 12394939
Spondylodiscitis following endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: imaging perspectives from a single centre’s experience.

Mandegaran R, Tang CSW, Pereira EAC, Zavareh A.
Mandegaran R, et al.
Skeletal Radiol. 2018 Oct;47(10):1357-1369. doi: 10.1007/s00256-018-2939-z. Epub 2018 Apr 14.
Skeletal Radiol. 2018.

PMID: 29656303
Free PMC article.
Management of destructive Candida albicans spondylodiscitis of the cervical spine: a systematic analysis of literature illustrated by an unusual case.

Stolberg-Stolberg J, Horn D, Roßlenbroich S, Riesenbeck O, Kampmeier S, Mohr M, Raschke MJ, Hartensuer R.
Stolberg-Stolberg J, et al.
Eur Spine J. 2017 Apr;26(4):1009-1018. doi: 10.1007/s00586-016-4827-3. Epub 2016 Nov 5.
Eur Spine J. 2017.

PMID: 27817136

Review.
A rare case of Candida glabrata spondylodiscitis: case report and literature review.

Gagliano M, Marchiani C, Bandini G, Bernardi P, Palagano N, Cioni E, Finocchi M, Bellando Randone S, Moggi Pignone A.
Gagliano M, et al.
Int J Infect Dis. 2018 Mar;68:31-35. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2018.01.003. Epub 2018 Jan 12.
Int J Infect Dis. 2018.

PMID: 29339229

Review.