[Clinical Picture] Vascular infection and vertebral destruction in a patient with Q fever

A 66-year-old man presented with lumbar pain and low-grade fever that had persisted for 2 months. 5 years before this admission, he had been treated for an abdominal aortic aneurysm with an aortic stent graft. Clinical examination and inflammatory biomarkers were normal. A CT scan revealed bilateral paravertebral and psoas muscle abscesses (figure), spondylitis with destruction of the second and third lumbar vertebral bodies (figure), and a distal migration of the stent, which was embedded in the third lumbar vertebral body (appendix).

Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - January 26, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Nicolas Mongardon, Arnaud Dubory, Amandine Dorget, Geoffroy De Wailly, Rapha ël Lepeule, Frédéric Cochennec Tags: Clinical Picture Source Type: research