Author/Authors :
Rebelo Casanova, Sara Infectious Diseases Department - Hospital Egas Moniz - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal , Paulino, Rita Laboratory of clinical microbiology and molecular biology - Hospital Egas Moniz - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal , Tavares, Joana Neurosurgery Department - Hospital Egas Moniz - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal , Cláudia Miranda, Ana Infectious Diseases Department - Hospital Egas Moniz - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal , Sabino, Raquel Department of Infectious Diseases - Reference Unit for Parasitic and Fungal Infections - National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal , Veríssimo, Cristina Department of Infectious Diseases - Reference Unit for Parasitic and Fungal Infections - National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal , Toscano, Cristina Laboratory of clinical microbiology and molecular biology - Hospital Egas Moniz - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal , Mansinho, Kamal Infectious Diseases Department - Hospital Egas Moniz - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
Abstract :
Fungal infections are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients.
Aspergillus spondylodiscitis is an uncommon manifestation of invasive aspergillosis and a significant
cause of death and frailty.
We report a case of spondylodiscitis caused by Aspergillus nidulans section in an HIV patient with
Burkitt's lymphoma, who presented with long-term lower back pain and weakness of the lower limbs.
Initial MR imaging missed the lesion. Emergent decompression surgery was performed. Fungal culture
on the vertebral disc revealed the agent that was later confirmed by sequencing the ITS region of
ribosomal DNA genes. Voriconazole was the chosen treatment, and the patient improved. This case
demonstrates how difficult a diagnosis can be if we are not considering it. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2021;
11(3): 162-165.
