Delayed osteomyelitis resulting from an extension injury of the cervical spine: case report

Abstract

<jats:p>Osteomyelitis of the cervical spine is an exceedingly rare lesion in pediatric practice and is caused by a variety of mechanisms. The authors present a case in which cervical osteomyelitis presented in a delayed manner after the patient experienced a stable cervical extension injury at the C4–5 level. On review of the original images, the authors noted a likely perforation in the retropharyngeal space. This case highlights the risk of retropharyngeal injury in cervical trauma, with the seldom-seen complication of osteomyelitis as a result.</jats:p>

The Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Spine Infections

“…Pediatric blunt trauma or hyperextension cervical spine injury has been reported to be a causative factor in delayed cervical spine osteomyelitis, due to a possible small pharyngeal perforation that seeds the bone and eventually develops into osteomyelitis [ 8 ].…”

Parálisis ascendente en un paciente joven con osteomielitis de vértebra torácica asociada a tromboembolia pulmonar Ascending paralysis in a young patient

“…En la mayoría de los casos existe dolor insidioso en la región dorsal o el cuello, que a menudo tarda meses o años en desarrollarse. Los síntomas neurológicos son raros, sin embargo, es típico encontrarlos cuando existe efecto de masa, por ejemplo, en caso de absceso 6 . El Staphylococcus aureus es el organismo aislado de forma más frecuente.…”