Alveolar echinococcosis as a cause of vertebral osteomyelitis and soft tissue infection with recurrent cutaneous fistula formation

Kirsten Schmidt-Hellerau; Kerstin Reiners; Ayla Yagdiran; Nicolaus Friedrichs; Julia Fischer; Gerd Fätkenheuer; Clara Lehmann; Norma Jung

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2021.10.041

Alveolar echinococcosis as a cause of vertebral osteomyelitis and soft tissue infection with recurrent cutaneous fistula formation

Int J Infect Dis. 2022 Jan:114:31-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.10.041. Epub 2021 Oct 26.

Authors

Kirsten Schmidt-Hellerau¹, Kerstin Reiners², Ayla Yagdiran³, Nicolaus Friedrichs⁴, Julia Fischer⁵, Gerd Fätkenheuer⁶, Clara Lehmann⁵, Norma Jung⁷

Affiliations

¹ University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: kirsten.schmidt-hellerau@uk-koeln.de.
² University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Cologne, Germany; Institute for Infection Control Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
³ University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Cologne, Germany.
⁴ University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Pathology, Cologne, Germany.
⁵ University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Cologne, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany; University of Cologne, Centre for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
⁶ University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Cologne, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
⁷ University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Cologne, Germany.

PMID: 34715358
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.10.041

Abstract

Echinococcus multilocularis is endemic in Germany. However, alveolar echinococcosis is a rare disease. Most commonly the parasite affects the liver, behaving like a malignant tumour. Bones are affected in less than 2% of cases. We report a case of vertebral osteomyelitis accompanied by recurrent cutaneous fistula formation.

Keywords: Alveolar echinococcosis; Bone infection; Fistula; Osteomyelitis; Sinus tract; Spondylitis.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Animals
Cutaneous Fistula* / etiology
Cutaneous Fistula* / surgery
Echinococcosis
Echinococcosis, Hepatic* / complications
Echinococcosis, Hepatic* / diagnostic imaging
Echinococcosis, Hepatic* / surgery
Echinococcus multilocularis*
Humans
Neoplasms*
Osteomyelitis* / diagnosis
Soft Tissue Infections*

Supplementary concepts

Alveolar echinococcosis