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Spondylodiscitis due to an emergent fungal pathogen: Blastoschizomyces capitatus, a case report and review of the literature

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Abstract

The study includes a case report and a literature review. The main objective of this study is to present a case of spondylodiscitis due to a fungal pathogen, Blastoschizomyces capitatus and to review the published literature on this emergent fungus in etiology of spondylodiscitis, and osteomyelitis. Osteoarticular involvement due to B. capitatus has been reported in six cases, and vertebral involvement has been seen in five of them. All of these cases had underlying malignancy. Infection is usually advanced at presentation. Case notes and online databases were reviewed. Organism was isolated from bone material in all of the cases and antibiotic treatment by antifungal agents cured the infection. We present another case of infectious spondylodiscitis due to B. capitaus, which is reported first in Turkey and tried to attract attendance to this emergent fungal pathogen as an etiologic agent of spine infections in cancer patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trakya University School of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey

    Aygul Dogan Celik

  2. Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Resat Ozaras, Serda Kantarcioglu, Ali Mert, Fehmi Tabak & Recep Ozturk

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  1. Aygul Dogan Celik
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  2. Resat Ozaras
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  3. Serda Kantarcioglu
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  4. Ali Mert
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Correspondence to Aygul Dogan Celik.

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Celik, A.D., Ozaras, R., Kantarcioglu, S. et al. Spondylodiscitis due to an emergent fungal pathogen: Blastoschizomyces capitatus, a case report and review of the literature. Rheumatol Int 29, 1237–1241 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-009-0928-1

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