[Non-tubercular and non-brucellar spondylodiscitis: preliminary clinico-microbiologic analysis of 37 cases]

Disk-space infection caused by organisms other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Brucella species seems to be an emerging disease due to an increase of the population at risk. However, few data are presently available from Italian institutions. In this article we report our "tot" month prospective experience on etiology and clinical presentation of disk-space infections in relation to their community (COM) or nosocomial (postoperative [POS] or non-postoperative [NPOS]) acquisition. Major results were: 1) a different microbial distribution among etiologies of COM, NPOS and POS infections; 2) more frequent distance infection as predisponing factor among NPOS infection than among COM and NPOS ones; 3) absence of fever and more frequent radicular extension of pain among POS infections. Due to the numerous potential microbial etiologies, culture of TC guided-disk aspirated material is of paramount importance for pathogen-targeted antimicrobial therapy.