Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Human Brucellar Spondylodiscitis
Published on: May 23, 2021
Hidden in the Spine: Two Cases Illustrating Spondylodiscitis as an Early Red Flag for Mitral Valve Infective
Ladislav Kocan1, Lucia Mistrikova2, Marianna Barbierik Vachalcova3
1Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafarik University in Košice, Košice, SVK.
Abstract:
Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a severe condition with high morbidity and mortality, often complicated by metastatic infections. Spinal involvement, particularly spondylodiscitis (SD) and epidural or paraspinal abscesses, is increasingly recognized but frequently underdiagnosed. We report two cases of mitral valve IE complicated by SD. A 77-year-old woman with culture-negative IE underwent urgent mitral valve replacement; subsequent magnetic resonance imaging revealed L3-L4 SD and a large right psoas abscess managed conservatively with prolonged antibiotics. A 73-year-old woman presented with cardioembolic stroke and severe mitral regurgitation; spinal MRI showed L4-L5 SD and a long-segment epidural abscess requiring urgent neurosurgical decompression, followed by valve replacement. Both cases highlight diagnostic challenges in culture-negative IE and underscore the need for early multimodality imaging, guideline-directed antimicrobial therapy, and multidisciplinary management. Timely recognition and intervention are essential to prevent irreversible neurological deficits and optimize outcomes.
More Related Videos
07:42An Image Guided Transapical Mitral Valve Leaflet Puncture Model of Controlled Volume Overload from Mitral Regurgitation in the Rat
Published on: May 19, 2020
08:25Visualization of Streptococcus pneumoniae within Cardiac Microlesions and Subsequent Cardiac Remodeling
Published on: April 7, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis
Endocarditis I: Introduction
Mitral Stenosis I: Introduction
Mitral Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Mitral Stenosis II: Clinical features and Diagnostic Tests
Myocarditis II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests