[Infectious sacroiliitis in tunisian centre: retrospective study of 25 cases]

Infectious sacroiliitis are rare but they can be complicated by disabling functional sequelae. To describe the clinical and bacteriological characteristics of infectious sacroiliitis among patients treated in Sousse Medical Center, Tunisia. A retrospective, descriptive study, of infectious sacroiliitis among patients hositalized in Sousse between 2000 and 2015. The diagnosis was made on the basis of medical signs, imaging, microbiological indicators. In the study were enrolled twenty five patients, 10 men and 15 women; the average age was 41 years (19-78). Sacroiliitis were due to pyogenic bacteria in 14 cases (56%), brucella bacteria in 6 cases (24%) and tuberculosis bacteria in 5 cases (20%). The mean duration of symptoms was 61, 45 and 402 days respectively. The most common clinical signs were buttock pain (92%) and fever (88%). Standard radiographic evaluation was abnormal in 75% of cases. CT scan and MRI of the sacroiliac joints was performed in all cases. The diagnosis was bacteriologically confirmed in 24 cases (96%). The average duration of antibiotic treatment was 83 days in the pyogenic sacroiliitis, and 102 days in brucellar sacroiliitis. The evolution was favorable in 12 patients (48%), 9 patients (36%) had sequelae of sacroiliac joint pain and 4 patients (16%) died. In our study, time frame of infectious sacroiliitis evolution did not predict the causative bacterium, hence the need for bacteriological documentation in order to prescribe appropriate antibiotic therapy.