Candida Spondylodiscitis: An Unusual Case of Thoracolumbar Pain with Review of Imaging findings and Description of the Clinical Condition

Abstract

Spondylodiscitis is an unusual but important cause of back pain. Patients with spinal infections typically present with severe sharp aching pain, malaise, fever, and percussion tenderness over the affected area. Early identification of the responsible organism is essential for adequate and prompt treatment. Fungal spondylodiscitis is extremely rare, and its presentation is insidious in nature. It uncommonly presents with fever or malaise. Clinically, the most reliable physical findings are paravertebral tenderness to palpation and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Magnetic resonance imaging is crucial in diagnosing the condition, allowing for early medical intervention. A case of discitis with adjacent vertebral osteomyelitis (spondylodiscitis) of the thoracic spine due to Candida tropicalis is presented. One of the unusual aspects of this case is that the patient was not immunocompromised.