Infections of the spine can occur in several adjacent yet anatomically distinct locations: the vertebral bodies, the intervertebral discs and the epidural space (see Figure 1). Infection of the vertebral bodies is termed “osteomyelitis,” as it would be any other bone. Disc and epidural space infections are denoted as “discitis” and “spinal epidural abscess” respectively. In general, the most commonly implicated organisms are bacterial, but spinal infection can also be caused by mycobacterium, fungi or, less commonly, viruses.
Spinal infections are relatively rare but are clinically important as they may cause significant morbidity and mortality – especially damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots that manifest as pain and dysfunction. Accordingly, suspected spinal infection requires urgent medical attention.
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