Anaerobic Spondylodiscitis due to Fusobacterium Species: A Case Report Review of the Literature

Table 1

Spondylodiscitis caused by Fusobacterium species. Review of the literature.

Author [reference]	Year	Age (years)	Sex	Spinal level(s)	Underlying conditions	Microbiologic diagnosis	Antimicrobial therapy	Length of antimicrobial therapy	Surgical intervention	Outcome
Fain et al. [4]	1989	67	F	L1-L2	Cirrhosis; dental abscesses	Blood cultures: F. nucleatum	Amoxicillin-clavulanate PO + metronidazole PO × 6 weeks	6 weeks	None	Lived
Rubin et al. [11]	1991	58	M	T12-L1	Diabetes mellitus, periodontitis	Disc biopsy (puncture): Fusobacterium sp. + S. aureus + S. sanguis type II	Clindamycin (route of administration not specified) × 8 weeks	8 weeks	Dental extractions	Lived
Soubrier et al. [12]	1995	63	M	T10-T11	None	Blood cultures: F. nucleatum	Penicillin G IV + metronidazole IV × 3 days and then penicillin V; PO × 2 months	8 weeks	None	Lived
Wang et al. [13]	1996	48	M	L1-L2	Periodontitis	Blood cultures: F. nucleatum	Penicillin G IV × 28 days and then clindamycin PO × 8 weeks	12 weeks	Dental extractions	Lived well 20 months later
Pampliega-Martinez et al. [9]	1997	84	M	T6-T7	Thoracic contusion	Disc aspirate: F. necrophorum	Amoxicillin PO × 46 days	8 weeks	None	Lived well 3 years later
de Gans et al. [3]	2000	53	F	L4-L5	Otitis media 5 months previously	Disc aspirate: F. varium	Amoxicillin-clavulanate PO × 8 weeks	8 weeks	Drainage of epidural abscess via anterior approach with anterior spinal stabilization	Lived well 6 months later
Abele-Horn et al. [1]	2001	20	M	L4-L5	Mycoplasma pneumonia pneumonia 3 weeks previously	Blood cultures: F. necrophorum	Ampicillin/sulbactam IV × 3 days and then imipenem-cilastatin; IV × 4 weeks and then clindamycin PO × 3 months	19 weeks	None	Lived well 1 year later
Brook [2]	2001	8	M	L3-L4	Upper respiratory infection 27 days previously	Disc aspirate: F. nucleatum	Clindamycin IV × 3 weeks and then clindamycin PO × 3 weeks	6 weeks	None	Lived well 2 years later
Le Moal et al. [8]	2005	78	F	L5-S1	Periodontitis requiring right inferior molar extraction 3 months previously	Disc aspirate and blood cultures: F.  necrophorum	Clindamycin IV × 4 weeks and then clindamycin PO × 8 wks.	12 weeks	None	Lived well 2 years later
Le Moal et al. [8]	2005	62	M	L4-L5	None	Blood cultures: F. necrophorum	Clindamycin IV × 4 weeks and then clindamycin PO × 8 weeks	12 weeks	None	Lived well 2 years later
Le Moal et al. [8]	2005	61	M	T6–T8	Diabetes mellitus; periodontal disease	Bone aspirate and blood cultures: F. nucleatum	Penicillin G IV × 4 weeks and then clindamycin PO × 8 weeks	12 weeks	Dental extractions	Lived well 3 years later
Goolamali et al. [5]	2006	63	M	L4-L5	Dental root abscess	Disc aspirate and open biopsy: F. nucleatum	Flucloxacillin IV + fusidic acid IV and then penicillin G IV + metronidazole (unknown route of administration)	Unknown	Right L5 laminectomy + drainage of multilevel epidural abscess	Lived well 2 months later
Joosten et al. [7]	2011	70	M	L3-L4	None	Blood cultures: F. nucleatum	Amoxicillin-clavulanate IV × 1 day, then ceftriaxone IV + metronidazole PO × 3 days, then metronidazole PO × 3.5 weeks, and then clindamycin PO × 14.5 weeks	19 weeks	None	Lived well 6 wks. after treatment
Ramos et al. [10]	2013	42	F	L3-L4	Crohn’s disease	Disc aspirate: F. nucleatum	Ertapenem IV + metronidazole PO × 8 weeks and then amoxicillin-clavulanate PO × 10 weeks	18 weeks	None	Lived well 7 months later
Griffin and Christensen [6]	2014	38	M	L3-L4	Gingivitis; contusions after all-terrain vehicle rollover	Open biopsy: F. nucleatum	Ertapenem IV × 8 weeks and then amoxicillin PO indefinitely	Indefinite suppressive therapy	Debridement and spinal fusion of L2–L5	Unknown
Latta et al. [this case]	2015	57	M	L2-L3	Asthma	Disc aspirate: Fusobacterium species	Ertapenem IV × 8 weeks	8 weeks	None	Lived well 3 months after treatment