Turkish Neurosurgery 2004 , Vol 14 , Num 1-2
Lumbar Spondylodiscitis Caused By Morganella Morganii
Feyza KARAGÖZ GÜZEY, Erhan EMEL, N. Serdar BAŞ, İbrahim ALATAŞ, Barış SEL
Department of Neurosurgery, SSK Vakif Gureba Teaching Hospital, İstanbul,Turkey To report of a case of lumbar spondylodiscitis caused by Morganella morganii and to discuss surgical treatment of spondylodiscitis by an extended posterior paramedian approach and posterior instrumentation. Instrumentation was performed by an extended posterior paramedian approach for our patient, although instrumentation remains controversial in patients with pyogenic vertebral infection. The patient recovered well with combined surgical and medical treatment. Morganella morganii, a facultative anaerobe inhabitant of the human gastrointestinal tract, grew on cultures. Morganella morganii is a rare offending agent of spondylodiscitis. An extended lumbar posterior paramedian approach in combination with simultaneous posterior interbody grafting and internal fixation with pedicle screws may be a suitable procedure for treatment of lumbar spondylodiscitis. Posterior instrumentation may be performed safely in the presence of spinal pyogenic infection. Keywords : Spinal osteomyelitis, spinal infection, posterior spinal approaches, spinal instrumentation, Morganella morgagnii
Corresponding author : Feyza Karagoz Güzey, fkarag@yahoo.com