Isolated Discitis in Melioidosis: An Unknown Presentation and a Microbiological Challenge

Abstract

Burkholderia pseudomallei causes Whitmore’s disease or melioidosis which is endemic in many South Asian countries including India. This gram-negative bacterium is frequently found in the moist soil and agricultural workers get infected most commonly. Most of the infections are asymptomatic and have a wide spectrum of manifestations as in tuberculosis. Melioidosis of the spine manifests as spondylodiscitis with paravertebral and prevertebral abscess and presentation as discitis alone is not reported. We report the first case of melioidosis causing isolated discitis without any obvious bony involvement. It also highlights the need for preoperative suspicion of these rare manifestations even in seemingly innocuous disc disease presenting as back pain and radiculopathy.