title: Vertebral osteomyelitis caused by Nocardia asteroides: report and review of the literature.
abstract: A 65-year-old man with 9 months of radicular lower back pain was admitted for treatment of presumed malignancy of the lumbar spine. Lumbar radiographs showed destruction of the L4-L5 endplates and obliteration of the disc space, which was more compatible with an infectious process. After 2 different closed biopsy specimens failed to reveal an etiologic organism, N. asteroides was cultured from an open biopsy sample of the affected vertebrae. This and 8 other cases in the English literature of vertebral osteomyelitis caused by N. asteroides are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Laurin
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Resnik
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Needleman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001416:Back Pain; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D009617:Nocardia Infections; D009616:Nocardia asteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography