OBJECTIVE: To discuss diagnosis and treatment of iatrogenic purulent lumbar spinal infection. METHODS: From December 2006 to January 2010, 4 patients with iatrogenic purulent lumbar spinal infection were treated with posterior debridement. There were 2 males and 2 females, ranging in age from 50 to 66 years (respectively in 52, 66, 58, 50 years); in course of disease from 2 weeks to 2.5 months (respectively in 21, 14, 60, 75 days ). All patients had fever, lumbago, local tenderness and limited lumbar activity before operation. White blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were abnormal. The clinical effects were evaluated by symptoms and laboratory examination. RESULTS: Symptoms of lumbago and fever vanished in 4 patients, of which wounds were primary healing without complications. The patients were followed up for 3 months, no infection (WBC, C-reactive protein and ESR were normal) and lumbar instability were found. CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic purulent lumbar spinal infection can be diagnosed according to course of disease, clinical symptoms and signs, imaging finding. In the items, magnetic resonance imaging finding have necessarily specificity, once finding abscess-formation, will promptly operate
Keywords : Aged,blood,Blood Cell Count,C-Reactive Protein,Cell Count,China,complications,Debridement,diagnosis,Diagnosis,Differential,Female,Fever,Humans,Infection,Lumbar Vertebrae,Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Male,methods,Middle Aged,Spondylitis,Suppuration,surgery,, Debridement,Treatment, ultrasound guided injection foot
Date of Publication : 2011 Apr
Authors : Liu BF;Yan N;Hou TS;Kang YF;
Organisation : Department of Orthopaedics, Changhai Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai 200433, China
Journal of Publication : Zhongguo Gu Shang
Pubmed Link : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21604537
The London Spine Unit : Harley Street UK. Specialists in Cutting Edge Technologies for Spinal Surgery