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Vaginal microbiota as an unusual cause of spondylodiscitis

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics volume 306, pages 109–114 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

The incidence of extra pelvic infections due to vaginal microflora bacteria has increased as growth media and methods of isolation have improved. However, bone infections seem to be still relatively rare, and little is known about their risk factors, clinical presentation, treatment and final outcome. We describe here a spondylodiscitis due to Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae, Peptostreptococcus indolicus and Prevotella amnii, anaerobic bacteria from vaginal microbiota. Our patient had no obvious predisposing factor and recovered after antibiotic treatment. To our knowledge, this case is the first reported spondylodiscitis caused by polymicrobial vaginal flora in a healthy, immunocompetent woman.

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Funding

The authors did not received any funding for this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, Bobigny, France

    Agnieszka Kolakowska

  2. Service de Microbiologie Clinique, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, Bobigny, France

    Fatma El Alaoui, Etienne Carbonnelle & Françoise Jaureguy

  3. Service de Rhumatologie, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Seine Saint-Denis, AP-HP, Bobigny, France

    Heida Ben Alba & Salima Challal

  4. IAME, UMR 1137, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France

    Etienne Carbonnelle & Françoise Jaureguy

Authors
  1. Agnieszka Kolakowska
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  2. Fatma El Alaoui
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  3. Heida Ben Alba
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  4. Salima Challal
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  5. Etienne Carbonnelle
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  6. Françoise Jaureguy
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Contributions

AK wrote the paper: wrote the paper except the laboratory part; other contribution: coordination of exploration and of take care of the patient. FEA performed laboratory tests. HBA other contribution: taking care of the patient. SC other contribution: taking care of the patient. EC wrote the paper: taking part in discussion corrections; other contribution: laboratory analysis. FJ wrote the paper: wrote the laboratory part, discussion corrections; other contribution: laboratory analysis.

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Correspondence to Agnieszka Kolakowska or Françoise Jaureguy.

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Kolakowska, A., El Alaoui, F., Ben Alba, H. et al. Vaginal microbiota as an unusual cause of spondylodiscitis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 306, 109–114 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-022-06432-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-022-06432-4

Keywords

  • Spondylodiscitis
  • Vaginal microbiota
  • Gardnerella vaginalis
  • Atopobium vaginae
  • Peptostreptococcus indolicus
  • Prevotella amnii