Fungal postoperative spondylodiscitis due to Scedosporium prolificans

Abstract Background context Postoperative fungal spondylodiscitis is a rare infectious disease. Purpose We report the first case of postoperative spondylodiscitis because of Scedosporium prolificans and review postoperative vertebral infection caused by fungi. Study design/setting Medline search. Methods Case report and literature review. Results On reviewing the cases of postoperative fungal spondylodiscitis reported so far in the literature, we found eight were caused by mold, and five by yeast. Clinically, the disease presents similar to postoperative vertebral osteomyelitis caused by bacteria, and a high clinical index of suspicion may be required to perform appropriate cultures to establish a diagnosis. Our review revealed a significant number of cases that were cured after surgical debridement and/or antifungal therapy. Conclusions On the basis of this limited assessment, it appears that the clinical course and prognosis of postoperative fungal spondylodiscitis is similar to that reported for postoperative pyogenic spondylodiscitis.