Unusual cause of back pain in a previously healthy teenager

Back
Lara Lunelli, Camelia Rossi, Nathalie Demeulenaere, Marc Léon, Xavier Collard Published in the journal : July 2021 Category : Clinical Report

Summary :

Infectious spondylodiscitis is a rare disease in children, generally of hematogenic origin. In the reported case, the clinical presentation was non-specific, whereas the usual symptom consisting of severe low back pain was present.

The responsible agent, which is not always found, is usually detected using blood cultures. The most commonly implicated germs are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus α-hemolytic, Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, and gram-negative bacilli

Evidence of Streptococcus pyogenes is anecdotical.

What is already known about the topic?

Infectious spondylodiscitis is a rare condition in children, which mainly affects children under 6 months of age and teenagers. The pathogen is usually isolated based on blood cultures, while the germs most often incriminated in teenagers are Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

What does this article bring up for us?

The interest of this article lies in the rarity of this diagnosis in young adults, in addition to the rarity of Group A Streptococcus bacteria as causal agents of infectious spondylodiscitis in teenagers. In this superinfection context, the article serves as a reminder of the need to expand influenza vaccination to workers from all communities, including nurseries.

Key Words

Infectious spondylodiscitis, Streptococcus pyogenes influenza vaccination