Background Vertebral osteomyelitis is rare. Finding the right etiological agent is important to administer antibiotic regimen accordingly. The occurrence of this disease in endemic countries raises the susceptibility of a more common infection such as tuberculosis and pyogenic bacteria. Salmonella spp . infection is also common in endemic countries; however, extra-intestinal manifestation is very rare. Methods We present an extremely rare case of salmonella vertebral osteomyelitis (SVO) in the upper thoracic vertebrae of a 64-year-old patient with history of cardiac surgery and other pre-existing comorbidities. SVO was treated by antibiotics, surgical debridement and spinal stabilization. Results Three weeks after surgery and intravenous antibiotics, the patient recovered and was discharged without fever and back pain, with excellent motoric improvement. Conclusion Salmonella infection must be considered to be one of possible etiological agents in patients with suggestive spondylitis in emerging countries, especially in those with comorbidities.

Backgrounds. Microscopic decompression (MD) has been widely used as an alternative to open decompression. Lately, biportal endoscopic spinal surgery (BESS) - a new approach in minimal-invasive spinal surgery – has also been used with good results.  Although both groups can achieve adequate lumbar decompression, there is still a lack of evidence regarding their comparison. We aim to compare the outcomes of both techniques in a one-year follow-up. Methods. This is a retrospective study in 100 consecutive patients with symptomatic lumbar spine compression due to herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) and lumbar canal stenosis (LCS) that was treated by either BESS or MD. Clinical evaluations using Visual Analog Score (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and SF-36 questionnaire were obtained. Objective data such as surgery duration, amount of postoperative drain production, and hospital length of stay were collected. Complications were noted throughout the follow-up time. Results. The BESS group had a significantly lesser surgical duration, drain production, and length of stay. At one year follow-up, both groups achieved significant improvement in VAS, ODI, and SF-36 compared to the preoperative condition. Complications were not observed in the BESS group. Conclusions. Both procedures were comparably effective to treat lumbar stenosis. Although this study shows superiority with BESS technique in immediate and long-term follow-up, the final choice may depend on the surgeon's preference

Osteochondroma is a benign cartilaginous tumor that usually arises from the growth plate of the long bones. Its presentation in flat bones is uncommon. Spinal osteochondroma is a rare case, with only a 4% incidence compared to all spinal neoplasms. We report an unusual case of osteochondroma at the spinous process of the C4 spine of a 15-year-old patient with the chief complaint of neck discomfort on movement. The patient has previously been diagnosed and treated for multiple hereditary exostoses of other bones. The patient underwent surgery for the current lesion with complete excision to the base of the lesion. Histopathology revealed a benign osteochondroma with a thin layer of cartilaginous cap. The patient was healed uneventfully and had no recurrence of the lesion on the same site at the 1-year follow-up. Surgical resection remains the mainstay treatment of osteochondroma and has proved to the low recurrence. In the case of cervical osteochondroma, surgery is advisable, particularly in symptomatic patients, to prevent complications.

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