Pneumococcal vertebral osteomyelitis - A unique case with atypical clinical course

Study Design. A case report. Objectives. To report and discuss a case of pneumococcal vertebral osteomyelitis with meningitis in a previously healthy 51-year-old immunocompetent woman who presented with acute onset lower back pain. Summary of Background Data. To the authors' knowledge, pneumococcal vertebral osteomyelitis with meningitis in an immunocompetent person with no other predisposing factor has not been reported previously. Methods. The patient was diagnosed to have pneumococcal meningitis 10 days after the onset of acute and severe lower back pain. Significant improvement of clinical symptoms from meningitis was achieved with appropriate antimicrobial treatment. Lumbar CT and MRI scans were performed on persistence of fever and lower back pain. Loss of height and peridiscal inflammation at L3-L4 and epidural and bilateral psoas abscesses were detected. Results. Diagnosis of pneumococcal vertebral osteomyelitis was established after evaluation of the material obtained from CT-guided aspiration of the psoas abscess and biopsy of the L3 body. With appropriate antimicrobial treatment, the patient's complaints resolved completely. Conclusion. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of pneumococcal vertebral osteomyelitis with meningitis.