Mycoplasma hominis Lumbar Wound Infection After Posterior Decompression and Instrumented Fusion: A Case Report

May 6, 2021

doi: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.20.00439.

Affiliations

Item in Clipboard

Stacy Ng et al.

JBJS Case Connect.

2021.

Abstract

Case:

A 63-year-old man underwent L2-S1 decompression and fusion for spinal stenosis. He developed urinary retention postoperatively requiring catheterization. He developed fever, purulence, and foot-drop 8 days postoperatively and underwent debridement with implant retention. Cultures yielded Mycoplasma hominis after 10 days. He received 4 weeks of doxycycline. Four years postoperatively, he had no recurrence of infection and was able to ambulate despite a persistent foot-drop.

Conclusion:

Mycoplasma hominis is a urogenital commensal rarely implicated in musculoskeletal infections. A high index of suspicion is required in spinal surgery patients who develop fever and purulence and have initial negative cultures and poor response to empirical antibiotics.

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/B394).

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