VERTEBRAL OSTEOMYELITIS DUE TO SALMONELLAE - REPORT OF 2 CASES AND REVIEW

We describe two patients with salmonella vertebral osteomyelitis (SVO) and review 44 cases in the English-language literature. There was mal e predominance (distribution, 1,7:1), primarily lumbar involvement (72 % of cases), and monomicrobial etiology. Fever (87% of cases) and back pain (92% of cases) were the dominant signs and symptoms, while diarr hea was present only in 16% of cases. Blood culture was positive in 48 % of cases, and stool and urine cultures were positive in 36% and 23% of cases, respectively. The overall cure rate was 61%, and the relapse rate was 9%. Infected abdominal aortic aneurysms (IAAAs) were seen ex clusively in the older age group (50 years of age or older), and all d eaths occurred in these patients. The mean duration of antibiotic use for patients who were cured was 60 days. Although SVO is primarily tre ated medically, certain cases may require individualized surgical inte rvention. Patients with concomitant IAAAs may need resection with thor ough debridement, extraanatomic bypass grafting, and prolonged antibio tic therapy.