title: Veillonella spondylodiscitis in a healthy 76-year-old lady.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of Veillonella spondylodiscitis in a healthy 76-year-old lady.
  
  
  METHODS
  A previously healthy 76-year-old lady presented with worsening axial back pain at the thoracolumbar junction, fever and loss of weight. Examination revealed deep tenderness over the thoracolumbar junction with painful and restricted spinal movements. The lower limb motor power, sensation and reflexes were normal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Radiographs of the lumbosacral spine showed evidence of spinal instability with lateral translation and loss of disc space at L1-L2. MRI scans revealed fluid intensity within the L1-L2 disc with infective debris elevating the posterior longitudinal ligament and narrowing the spinal canal. Both tissue and blood cultures were positive for the anaerobic organism, Veillonella. A staged anterior-posterior spinal surgery followed by an extended course of antibiotics resulted in the clinical improvement and normalisation of blood parameters. A review of the literature on Veillonella infections is also presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The aim of this report is to bring Veillonella spondylodiscitis to the attention of spinal surgeons and infectious disease specialists and discuss the management options.
authors.affiliation: Spine Service, St George Hospital and Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. thomaskishen@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kishen
authors.forename: Steven T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lindstrom
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Etherington
authors.forename: Ashish D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Diwan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015299:Discitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014678:Veillonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*