Vertebral actinomycosis with spinal cord compression. A case report.

Introduction. - Vertebral involvement of actinomycosis is extremely rare an d associated spinal cord compression is unusual. Exegesis. - We report a case of a 31-year-old man with vertebral actinomyco sis presenting with spinal cord compression. Magnetic resonance imaging dem onstrated a paravertebral abscess and lytic areas on the vertebral body of C5 requiring emergency surgery and antibiotic treatment. The patient was st ill asymptomatic after 12 months of follow-up. Conclusion. - Clinical aspects of this unusual localization are reviewed. T reatment may be particularly difficult. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.