Abstract

Spondylodiscitis is a combination of discitis (inflammation of one or more intervertebral disc spaces) and spondylitis (inflammation of one or more vertebrae), the latter generally involving the areas adjacent to the intervertebral disc space.

Causes

Spondylodiscitis is the most common complication of sepsis or local infection, usually in the form of an abscess. The main causative organisms are staphylococci and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but potential organisms include a large number of bacteria, fungi, zoonoses. Spondylodiscitis frequently develops in immunocompromised individuals, such as by a cancer, infection, or by immunosuppressive drugs used for organ transplantations.

Diagnosis

The main methods to diagnose a spondylodiscitis are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biopsy and microbiological tests such as PCR to determine an infectious cause.