Cervical spondylodiscitis caused by Blastoschizomyces capitatus

Infection. 2009 Apr;37(2):153-5. doi: 10.1007/s15010-007-7081-0. Epub 2008 Jan 29.

Abstract

A 37-year-old woman, during her second remission of acute myeloid leukemia, presented with severe neck pain and cervico-brachial neuralgia. Investigation revealed a C5-C6 spondylodiscitis. A CT-guided anterior biopsy decompressed the mass, immediately alleviated the symptoms, and isolated a rare yeast: Blastoschizomyces capitatus. To our knowledge, only three cases of spondylodiscitis with this yeast have been described. Six months of voriconazole and liposomal amphotericin B treatment produced a complete resolution on CT and MRI imaging. However, the ongoing severe yeast infection prevented the planned bone marrow allograft.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amphotericin B / therapeutic use
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cervical Vertebrae* / diagnostic imaging
  • Cervical Vertebrae* / microbiology
  • Dipodascus / isolation & purification*
  • Discitis / diagnosis
  • Discitis / drug therapy
  • Discitis / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / complications
  • Mycoses / diagnosis
  • Mycoses / drug therapy
  • Mycoses / microbiology*
  • Neck / diagnostic imaging
  • Pyrimidines / therapeutic use
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Triazoles / therapeutic use
  • Ultrasonography
  • Voriconazole

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Pyrimidines
  • Triazoles
  • liposomal amphotericin B
  • Amphotericin B
  • Voriconazole