title: Pediatric spinal blastomycosis: case report.
abstract: A 5-year-old male patient presented with flank pain, limping, weight loss, and cachexia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed destructive vertebral changes, an epidural mass, psoas abscesses, and lack of involvement of the disc spaces. Blastomyces dermatitidis was isolated from a needle aspiration specimen. Sparing of the disc spaces, an unusual finding, suggested that the spread of infection was by way of paravertebral structures and surrounding potential spaces. Management was simplified by using gadolinium contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, which indicated that the epidural mass was mainly solid, thereby obviating abscess drainage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hardjasudarma
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Black-Payne
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001759:Blastomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D016659:Psoas Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012447:Sacrum / Q000473:pathology; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D000666:Amphotericin B