title: Primary lumbar epidural abscess without spondylodiscitis caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum diagnosed by 16S rRNA PCR.
abstract: We report the case of a 71-year-old woman who presented a primary spinal epidural abscess caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. This is the second report in the medical literature to associate this organism with a primary spinal epidural abscess without spondylodiscitis. After treatment with emergency laminectomy followed by 8 weeks of antibiotic treatment the patient was cured. Oral metronidazole (500 mg every 8 h) was the definitive choice of treatment. F. necrophorum spinal epidural abscess is rare, although samples for anaerobic culture should be collected in order to improve detection of anaerobic spinal infections. PCR amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA permits early diagnosis in anaerobic infections.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: Sanmillan.joseluis@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sanmillán
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pelegrín
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ardanuy
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cabellos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020802:Epidural Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005675:Fusobacterium necrophorum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Fusobacterium necrophorum; Spinal epidural abscess