TITLE:
Acute Paraplegia Due to Salmonella brandenburg Spondylodiscitis: Case Report
AUTHORS:
Claudiu Popa, Maguette Mbaye, Mbaye Thioub, Tanguy Riem, Benjamin Daumas-Duport, Nathalie Asseray, Roger Robert
KEYWORDS:
Spondylodiscitis, Spinal Epidural Abscess, Paraplegia, Salmonella brandenburg, Post-Ingestion, Immunocompetent
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Neurosurgery,
Vol.9 No.3,
July
30,
2019
ABSTRACT: The authors present the case of a 48-year-old man admitted for acute onset of paraplegia in a patient suffering from backaches for 1 week. The rapidly progressive motor disturbances had been evolving for approximately 12 hours. The entire spinal MRI showed an epidural mass at T4-T6 associated with extensive lesions of spondylodiscitis and a T7-T8 vertebral body loss of height. A large six-level laminectomy was performed. A tumoral etiology couldn’t be entirely excluded intraoperatively so that no fusion has been done at that time. The pathological exam revealed acute inflammatory lesions with no argument in favor of a tumoral process. Bacteriological exam of the pathological specimen and stools cultures were positive for Salmonella brandenburg. An episode of gastroenteritis after the ingestion of a pizza has been evoked. The antibiotic medication was prescribed for 12 weeks. Postoperative evolution was favorable with a possible march between bars 6 weeks after. The authors emphasize the pseudo-tumoral presentation in an immunocompetent patient, the lack of complications and the post-ingestion mechanism.