Spondylodiscitis due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients.
• Community-acquired infections due to S. maltophilia are less common but increasingly reported.
• Spondylodiscitis, an infection of the spine and intervertebral discs, is a rare manifestation of S. maltophilia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of community-acquired spondylodiscitis caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
• To highlight the potential for S. maltophilia to cause severe infections outside of typical nosocomial settings.
• To discuss the clinical presentation and management in a specific patient population.

Main Methods:

• Case report presentation.
• Review of patient's medical history, clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, and treatment.
• Literature review on S. maltophilia infections and spondylodiscitis.

Main Results:

• A case of spondylodiscitis due to community-acquired S. maltophilia infection is presented.
• The patient was a renal transplant recipient with underlying liver cirrhosis.
• This represents the second reported case of spondylodiscitis caused by S. maltophilia.

Conclusions:

• Stenotrophomonas maltophilia can cause severe community-acquired infections, including rare conditions like spondylodiscitis.
• Immunocompromised patients, such as transplant recipients, are at risk for unusual S. maltophilia infections.
• This case underscores the importance of considering S. maltophilia in the differential diagnosis of severe infections in vulnerable populations.