Alelaumi Ahmad, Althunibat Ismail, Khamees Almu'atasim, Alfawareh Mohammad, Khalil Osama
Department of Orthopedics and Spine Surgery, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan.
Department of Surgery, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan.
Radiol Case Rep. 2024 Sep 26;19(12):6479-6486. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2024.09.028. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Emphysematous osteomyelitis (EO) a rare and potentially life-threatening condition caused by gas-forming bacteria, can occasionally affect the spine. Timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention are crucial in preventing rapid deterioration. This article aims to provide insights into the clinical presentation and radiographic findings of emphysematous osteomyelitis of the spine in advanced metastatic cancer patients who may present with severe, unexplained back pain. We present 2 cases of emphysematous osteomyelitis in patients with advanced metastatic cancer. The first case was for a 37-year-old female and the second case was for a 66-year-old male. In both instances, the diagnosis was established based on distinctive radiographic findings. In both cases, the infection was caused by an unusual organism. Medical treatment resulted in pain management and an improvement in performance status for both patients. In conclusion, Emphysematous osteomyelitis (EO) is a rare condition that necessitates prompt diagnosis. The preferred imaging modalities for diagnosing EO are Computed Tomography (CT) rather than Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Therefore, a comprehensive radiological assessment is crucial in suspected cases. Early identification and treatment can significantly reduce morbidity in this vulnerable patient population and may improve prognosis.
气肿性骨髓炎（EO）是一种由产气细菌引起的罕见且可能危及生命的疾病，偶尔会累及脊柱。及时诊断和适当干预对于防止病情迅速恶化至关重要。本文旨在深入探讨晚期转移性癌症患者脊柱气肿性骨髓炎的临床表现和影像学表现，这些患者可能出现严重的、原因不明的背痛。我们报告2例晚期转移性癌症患者的气肿性骨髓炎病例。第一例为一名37岁女性，第二例为一名66岁男性。在这两个病例中，均根据独特的影像学表现确诊。在这两个病例中，感染均由一种不常见的病原体引起。药物治疗使两名患者的疼痛得到控制，身体状况有所改善。总之，气肿性骨髓炎（EO）是一种罕见疾病，需要及时诊断。诊断EO的首选影像学检查方法是计算机断层扫描（CT）而非磁共振成像（MRI）。因此，对于疑似病例，全面的放射学评估至关重要。早期识别和治疗可显著降低这一脆弱患者群体的发病率，并可能改善预后。
