Fungal discitis due to Aspergillus terreus in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

J Korean Med Sci. 2000 Dec;15(6):704-7. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2000.15.6.704.

Abstract

We report a case of Aspergillus terreus discitis which developed in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia following induction chemotherapy. A. terreus was isolated from sputum, one month earlier, but the physician did not consider it significant at the time. Magnetic resonance imaging study showed the involvement of L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 intervertebral discs. Etiology was established by means of histology and culturing a surgical specimen of disc materials. Our patient survived after a surgical debridement and amphotericin B administration with a total dose of 2.0 g. Discitis caused by Aspergillus terreus is a very rare event. A. terreus is one of the invasive Aspergillus species. The pathogenetic mechanism is discussed and the literature is reviewed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aspergillosis / complications
  • Aspergillosis / drug therapy
  • Aspergillosis / microbiology*
  • Aspergillosis / pathology
  • Aspergillosis / surgery
  • Aspergillus / classification
  • Aspergillus / isolation & purification
  • Discitis / drug therapy
  • Discitis / microbiology*
  • Discitis / pathology
  • Discitis / surgery
  • Humans
  • Intervertebral Disc / microbiology*
  • Intervertebral Disc / pathology
  • Intervertebral Disc / surgery
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / microbiology*
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / pathology
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / surgery
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / complications*
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / microbiology