Intramedullary cervical spinal cord abscess by viridans group Streptococcus secondary to infective endocarditis and facilitated by previous local radiotherapy.
The risk factors, microbial patterns, and prognosis of intramedullary abscess have varied with time. The development of an intramedullary abscess of the spinal cord (IASC) constitutes an exceptional complication of infective endocarditis (IE) in the post-antibiotic era. We present a case of cervical IASC by viridans group Streptococcus in a patient with mitral valve IE. We hypothesize that previous cervical radiotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma favoured the occurrence of this uncommon entity. This physiopathologic mechanism has not been previously reported.
Fernández-Ruiz
Mario
M
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. mario_fdezruiz@yahoo.es
López-Medrano
Francisco
F
García-Montero
María
M
Hornedo-Muguiro
Javier
J
Aguado
Jose-María
JM
D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D020802:Epidural Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D034363:Viridans Streptococci