Black disc morphology during routine lumbar discectomy with subsequent diagnosis of enterococcal discitis

Randy Dean Volkmer; Mark D Rahm; John K Midturi

doi:10.25259/SNI_443_2023

Black disc morphology during routine lumbar discectomy with subsequent diagnosis of enterococcal discitis

Surg Neurol Int. 2023 Jul 14:14:243. doi: 10.25259/SNI_443_2023. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Randy Dean Volkmer¹, Mark D Rahm¹, John K Midturi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor Scott and White - Temple, Temple, Texas, United States.
² Department of Infectious Disease, Baylor Scott and White - Temple, Temple, Texas, United States.

Abstract

Background: Enterococcus faecalis is reported infrequently as an infectious cause of discitis. In the literature, the diagnosis is commonly made based on the clinical picture coupled with blood cultures, imaging, and tissue cultures.

Case description: A 62-year-old male with chronic lower back pain underwent lumbar decompression for a lumbar disc. At surgery, the patient had significant black discoloration of the disc material. Later, the cultures demonstrated E. faecalis infectious discitis.

Conclusion: Here is an example of enterococcal lumbar discitis found during a routine lumbar discectomy. As operative cultures revealed E. faecalis, the patient required not one but two operations (i.e., second for seroma/ hematoma due to infection) following which antibiotic therapy eradicated the infection.

Keywords: Black disc; Discectomy; Enterococcal; Infectious discitis.

Publication types

Case Reports