-Case Reports-

Fungal Thoracic Spondylodiskitis in an Immunocompetent 14-year-old Girl

Takeshi Asano, Takayuki Hatori, Kentaroh Kuwabara, Kaoru Aki and Osamu Fujino

Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School
Department of Pediatrics, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital

Fungal spondylodiskitis (inflammation of intervertebral disk tissue and adjacent vertebrae) is rare, particularly in immunocompetent patients. Here, we report a case of fungal and bacterial thoracic spondylodiskitis in a 14-year-old girl with abdominal and back pain. The spondylodiskitis was diagnosed on the basis of the presence of β-D glucan and the unusual clinical course, although cultures for fungus were negative. We conclude spondylodiskitis must be considered in cases of abdominal pain without clear etiology and in cases of fungal infection with unexplainable findings after standard treatment for bacterial infection, even when fungal cultures are negative.

J Nippon Med Sch 2009; 76: 265-267

Keywords
spondylodiskitis, fungal infection, childhood

Correspondence to
Takeshi Asano, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, 1715 Kamagari, Inba-mura, Inba-gun, Chiba, 270-1694, Japan
VFF13540@nifty.ne.jp

Received, August 5, 2009
Accepted, September 2, 2009