COVID-19 Infection Leading to Lethal Spondylodiscitis with Spinal Abscess

Background and Importance:

 Secondary complications after SARS-CoV-2 virus infection including cardiovascular and neurological pose additional morbidity and mortality. The data on spondylodiscitis with spinal abscess after COVID-19 infection is very limited.

A 71-year-old man presented with tachypnea and cough since 24 hours before admission. He was febrile and his chest CT showed typical picture of bilateral covid-19 pneumonia. Nasopharyngeal swabs showed a positive PCR for COVID-19. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to low oxygen saturation. Forty-eight hours after admission, the patient started to develop paraparesis which rapidly progressed to paraplegia within a few hours. In MRI scan, multilevel spondylodiscitis and epidural abscess in the thoracic spine were observed. Urgent surgery was performed and the patient was treated medically with hydroxychloroquine and Favipiravir for COVID-19. Calculated antibiotic treatment with meropenem and vancomycin. No COVID-19 was detected in the abscess samples. The patient passed away later due to multiorgan failure.

Spondylodiscitis with spinal abscess secondary to COVID-19 infection is a severe condition and might be a consequence of dysbalanced immune response with immunodepression after COVID-19 infection.