Pyogenic spondylitis and paravertebral abscess caused by Salmonella Saintpaul in an immunocompetent 13-year-old child: a case report

Abstract Background Salmonella spondylitis is an uncommon complication of Salmonella infection in immunocompetent children. To prevent treatment failure and neurological deficits, it needs prompt diagnosis and sufficient effort to identify the causative organism. There are some options to identify the causative organism such as Computed Tomography (CT) guided biopsy or surgical debridement, however when to perform these invasive interventions remains controversial. Case presentation A 13-year-old boy presented with occasional high fever and lower back pain. He was diagnosed with spondylitis of the L4–5 vertebral bodies and paravertebral abscess. Initial blood cultures were negative, therefore empirical antibiotic treatment was started. He responded well to conservative management, and was discharged after clinical improvement. However, he was re-hospitalized 2 weeks after discharge, and surgical debridement was performed which led to the detection of Salmonella Saintpaul as the causative pathogen. It was revealed that the possible source of infection was consumption of raw poultry eggs, or contact with poultry. Definitive antibiotic therapy was started. He was discharged with good recovery after a 6-week hospitalization. Conclusions This is the very first case report of pyogenic spondylitis caused by Salmonella Saintpaul. Salmonella should be considered as a causative pathogen of pyogenic spondylitis in immunocompetent children. Identifying the causative organism is essential to prevent treatment failure, and a high index of suspicion is needed for prompt diagnosis especially when blood cultures are negative. Invasive interventions such as CT-guided biopsy should be considered even if the clinical course seems to be uncomplicated

An infant with refractory cytomegalovirus-induced thrombocytopenia

The present case underscores the importance of considering the association of severe thrombocytopenia or immune thrombocytopenia with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection because CMV-induced thrombocytopenia occasionally requires antiviral therapy

Chronic otitis media caused by Mycobacterium abscessus spp. massiliense treated with tigecycline in a 10-year-old child

Mycobacterium abscessus is one of the most pathogenic and chemotherapy-resistant rapidly growing mycobacteria. This Mycobacterium should always be considered as a possible cause of chronic otitis media in children, and treatment might be challenging because of its resistance to multiple antibiotics. There are no reports describing the therapeutic use of tigecycline for the treatment of chronic otitis media caused by M. abscessus. A 10-year-old boy was referred to Tokyo Metropolitan Children’s Medical Center with a 7-year history of recurrent otitis media despite treatment with antibiotics and ventilation tubes. Cultures of the otorrhea yielded Mycobacterium abscessus spp. massiliense, and it showed multiple and high-level resistance. The boy required surgery and underwent initial treatment with clarithromycin, amikacin, and tigecycline for 4 weeks. He experienced emesis as a side-effect of tigecycline, which was well controlled with ondansetron. He was treated successfully with 3 months of subsequent oral clarithromycin and linezolid. This is the first pediatric case of chronic otitis media caused by M. abscessus treated with a tigecycline-containing regimen. Although the therapeutic use of tigecycline remains controversial, especially in the pediatric population, it can be an acceptable option in the treatment of chronic otitis media caused by M. abscessus. Keywords: Mycobacterium abscessus, Chronic otitis media, Tigecyclin