Pyogenic Cervical Spondylitis Caused by Pasteurella haemolytica Attributed to Excessive Contact With Dogs

Full article available online at ORTHOSuperSite.com. Search: 20110922-32 The bacterium Pasteurella haemolytica is resident in the oral cavities of dogs and cats and is often a cause of zoonotic infection. However, it is rare for it to be the pathogenic bacteria behind pyogenic spondylitis, and few studies have been conducted on it. This article reports a case of pyogenic cervical spondylitis thought to be caused by excessive contact with pet dogs. A 52-year-old man reported neck pain and pain in the right upper limb. He was admitted after plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging suggested pyogenic spondylitis. Pasteurella haemolytica was detected by needle aspiration biopsy of the intervertebral disk. Because the patient owned 2 dogs and frequently kissed them on the mouth, the cause of infection was thought to be excessive contact with pet dogs. Symptoms were alleviated with bed rest and administration of antibiotics with a higher sensitivity to this bacterium. Drs Machino, Yukawa, Ito, Nakashima, Kanbara, Morita, and Kato are from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chubu Rosai Hospital, Japan Labor Health and Welfare Organization, Nagoya, Japan. Drs Machino, Yukawa, Ito, Nakashima, Kanbara, Morita, and Kato have no relevant fi nancial relationships to disclose. Correspondence should be addressed to: Masaaki Machino, MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chubu Rosai Hospital, Japan Labor Health and Welfare Organization, 1-10-6 Komei, Minatoku, Nagoya, Aichi, 455-8530, Japan ([email protected]). doi: 10.3928/01477447-20110922-32 Pyogenic Cervical Spondylitis Caused by Pasteurella haemolytica Attributed to Excessive Contact With Dogs MASAAKI MACHINO, MD; YASUTSUGU YUKAWA, MD, PHD; KEIGO ITO, MD, PHD; HIROAKI NAKASHIMA, MD; SHUNSUKE KANBARA, MD; DAIGO MORITA, MD; FUMIHIKO KATO, MD, PHD Figure: Lateral plain radiograph at admission confi rmed narrowing of the intervertebral disk space between the fi fth and sixth cervical vertebrae.