Lack of Effect of Antibiotics on Biopsy Culture Results in Vertebral Osteomyelitis

The prevalence of vertebral osteomyelitis has increased over the last several decades. The Mayo Clinic reported almost a tenfold increase in Olmsted County from 1969 to 2009 (Kremers et al., 2015). This Is a challenging infectious disease for the clinician both in terms of diagnosis and management. If left untreated, symptoms of back pain, motor weakness or even paralysis may develop. In a patient who is suspected of having vertebral osteomyelitis, imaging utilizing computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be useful in confirming the diagnosis (Berbari et al., 2015).

Source: Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease - February 26, 2018 Category: Microbiology Authors: Louis D. Saravolatz, Vladimir Labalo, Joel Fishbain, Susan Szpunar, Leonard B. Johnson Tags: Note Source Type: research