Intramedullary Cervical Spinal Cord Abscess by Viridans Group Streptococcus Secondary to Infective Endocarditis and Facilitated by Previous Local Radiotherapy

Mario Fernández-Ruiz; Francisco López-Medrano; María García-Montero; Javier Hornedo-Muguiro; Jose-María Aguado

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.48.1548

CASE REPORTS

Intramedullary Cervical Spinal Cord Abscess by Viridans Group Streptococcus Secondary to Infective Endocarditis and Facilitated by Previous Local Radiotherapy

Mario Fernández-Ruiz, Francisco López-Medrano, María García-Montero, Javier Hornedo-Muguiro, Jose-María Aguado

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Keywords: intramedullary abscess, cervical spinal cord, radiotherapy, infective endocarditis, viridans group Streptococcus

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2009 Volume 48 Issue 1 Pages 61-64

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.48.1548

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Abstract

The risk factors, microbial patterns, and prognosis of intramedullary abscess have varied with time. The development of an intramedullary abscess of the spinal cord (IASC) constitutes an exceptional complication of infective endocarditis (IE) in the post-antibiotic era. We present a case of cervical IASC by viridans group Streptococcus in a patient with mitral valve IE. We hypothesize that previous cervical radiotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma favoured the occurrence of this uncommon entity. This physiopathologic mechanism has not been previously reported.

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