Coxiella burnetii infection of the spine requiring neurosurgical intervention

Abstract

Background: Infections from Coxiella burnetii, resulting in what is known as Q fever, are relatively rare and difficult to diagnose. Very few reports of spinal infection from C. burnetii have been reported rarely have these cases required surgical intervention. Case Description: We report a patient with the previous vascular surgery and Q fever spinal osteomyelitis. Previously reported cases with spinal involvement have described initial infection of vascular grafts in proximity to the spine. Literature on spinal infection from C. burnetii reports only one case that required surgical intervention of the spine. We report a patient with L5-S1 diskitis who required surgical intervention and subsequent percutaneous drainage. Conclusion: Spinal infections from C. burnetii are rare; however, in the setting of a patient with osteodiscitis with negative cultures as well as a history of significant vascular disease with stents, the diagnosis of Q fever should be entertained. Operative and interventional procedures should also be considered in these patients to help alleviate pain and maintain neurologic function.

Chronic Q fever presenting as bilateral extensor tenosynovitis: a case report and review of the literature

“…Moreover, Q fever may present as an asymptomatic disease or with limited systemic symptoms as in the present case (Francis et al, 2016). To our knowledge, there have been 55 reports of Q fever with osteoarticular involvement reported in the literature, including the present case (Table 1) (O'Donnell et al, 2007;Merhej et al, 2012;Galy et al, 2016;Stokes et al, 2016;Virk et al, 2017;Meriglier et al, 2018;Lundy et al, 2019;Dabaja-Younis et al, 2020;Waelbers et al, 2020;Dorfman et al, 2021;McKew and Gottlieb, 2021;Sim et al, 2021). Most cases presented as osteomyelitis or spondylodiscitis.…”