[Pyogenic Spinal Infections in Adults: A 5-Year Experience from a Tertiary Care Centre].

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To describe epidemiological and clinical features of pyogenic spinal infections in patients treated at the Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Tropical Diseases of the Hospital Na Bulovce in 2010-2014, and to analyse a predictive significance of selected variables. MATERIAL AND METHODS A single-centre retrospective cohort study carried out from 1.1.2010 to 31.12.2014 enrolled adult patients with septic spondylitis, discitis and facet joint infections. Recorded parameters included: demographics, chronic comorbidities, time to diagnosis, radiological work-up, anatomical level of spinal infection, source of infection, etiological agent, complications, treatment and outcomes. RESULTS Fifty-four patients were enrolled, 35 men (65%) and 19 women (35%), age range 33-90, mean age 63 years. Forty patients (74.1%) had a chronic comorbidity, 20 patients (37%) were obese. Time to diagnosis ranged between 1-90 days, mean 16.3 days. The diagnosis was assessed with MRI in 41 (75.9%) and CT in 11 patients (20.4%). Lumbosacral spine was affected in 38 (70.4%), thoracic in 14 (25.5%), cervical in 8 patients (14.8%), and 6 patients (11.1%) had a multilevel disease. Epidural abscess developed in 28 (51.9%), paravertebral oedema or abscess in 41 patients (75.9%). Endocarditis was diagnosed in 8 patients (14.8%). Aetiology was identified in 45 patients (83.3%), with Staphylococcus aureus isolated in 29 patients (53.7%). Twenty-two patients (40.7%) were treated surgically in addition to antibiotics. The mean length of hospital stay, parenteral antibiotic treatment and total antibiotic treatment was 48.7, 38.2 and 71.5 days, respectively. Thirty-six patients (66.6%) recovered with no or mild sequelae, 7 (13%) with severe sequelae, and 11 patients (20.4%) died. None of the analysed variables proved to be a statistically significant predictive factor of clinical outcome. DISCUSSION In accordance with previous studies pyogenic spinal infections were diagnosed mainly in elderly with chronic internal comorbidities, mostly with magnetic resonance imaging, they were often localized in lumbar spine, with staphylococci being the leading agents. In spite of unavailable CT-navigated biopsy, the aetiology was discovered in majority of patients. In contrast, this study found a more frequent posterior segments involvement, a shorter time to treatment, no tuberculous cases, a relatively high case fatality ratio, but less sequelae and no relapse. CONCLUSIONS The study confirmed an increasing incidence of pyogenic spinal infections, known predisposing factors, importance of MRI in diagnostics, disease predilection in lumbar spine, staphylococcal predominance in causative pathogens, and a relatively high case fatality ratio. Although time to treatment was not proved to be a negative predictive factor of clinical outcome, it is an imperative to strive for an early diagnosis and treatment. Predictors of clinical outcome have to be evaluated in a more extensive cohort of patients. Key words: spinal infection, discitis, spondylitis, spondylodiscitis, epidural abscess, psoas muscle abscess.