Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 22, 2025
04:36
Murine Superficial Lymph Node Surgery
Published on: May 21, 2012
43.3K
Infected Schmorl's node: a case report
Hyeun Sung Kim1, Harshavardhan Dilip Raorane2, Sagar Bhupendra Sharma2
1Department of Neurosurgery, Nanoori Hospital Gangnam, 731, Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06048, Republic of Korea. neurospinekim@gmail.com.
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
|May 4, 2020
Summary
Schmorl nodes (SN) are usually incidental findings. Symptomatic infected SN can mimic back pain, requiring surgical intervention when conservative treatment fails.
Area of Science:
- Spine surgery
- Radiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Schmorl nodes (SN) are common, often asymptomatic vertebral body inclusions.
- They can present as acute low back pain, mimicking disc herniation or fracture.
Observation:
- A rare case of a symptomatic infected Schmorl node in a 67-year-old female presenting with low back pain radiating to the right buttock.
- Initial conservative management failed, with subsequent imaging revealing lesion enlargement and disc space changes suggestive of secondary pathology.
Findings:
- Surgical excision of the infected Schmorl node was performed.
- Histopathological analysis confirmed pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis.
Implications:
- While most acute Schmorl nodes resolve with conservative care, rapid symptom worsening warrants suspicion of secondary infection.
- Prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention are crucial for managing infected Schmorl nodes presenting as severe back pain.
