Veillonella parvula spondylodiscitis

Med Mal Infect. 2019 Feb;49(1):54-58. doi: 10.1016/j.medmal.2018.10.001. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Abstract

Objectives: Veillonella parvula is an anaerobic Gram-negative coccus rarely involved in bone and joint infections.

Patients and method: We report the case of a Veillonella parvula vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) in a female patient without any risk factor.

Results: The 35-year-old patient was immunocompetent and presented with Veillonella parvula VO. She was admitted to hospital for inflammatory lower back pain. The discovertebral sample was positive for Veillonella parvula. Literature data on Veillonella VO is scarce. Reported cases usually occurred in immunocompromised patients. Diagnosis delay can be up to four months. Patients are usually afebrile. Outcome with antimicrobial treatment alone is favorable in half of cases. Other patients must undergo surgery.

Conclusions: Veillonella VO may occur in immunocompetent patients and have a clinical spectrum of mechanical lower back pain.

Keywords: Spondylodiscite; Spondylodiscitis; Veillonella; Veillonella parvula.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Discitis / diagnosis*
  • Discitis / microbiology
  • Female
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / diagnosis*
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Immunocompetence
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / microbiology*
  • Osteomyelitis / diagnosis
  • Osteomyelitis / microbiology
  • Veillonella* / isolation & purification
  • Veillonella* / physiology