Long-term case management and outcomes in a young male patient with complete paraplegia post T4-T5 vertebral osteomyelitis and a previous documented thalamo-mesencephalic hemorrhage – case presentation

Abstract

(1) Background: Vertebral osteomyelitis is an infection affecting the vertebrae, with a poten-tially devastating impact, which requires a prompt diagnosis established as quickly as possible to avoid complications such as neurological impairment, fractures, and chronic pain; (2) Meth-ods: We reported a case of a 47-year-old male patient with multiple risk factors (high blood pressure, smoking, dyslipidemia, type II diabetes) and a history of right hemiplegia post a thalamo- mesencephalic hemorrhage, admitted to the Neuromuscular Clinic Division of The Teaching Emergency Hospital “Bagdasar- Arseni” (TEHBA) Bucharest, for complete paraplegia following a surgically treated vertebral osteomyelitis at T4-T5 level with spinal epidural ab-scess; (3) Results: The patient had an oscillating and long evolution, due to long-term antibio-therapy and the imperative of minimal mobilization periods, which eventually led to favorable results, with the recovery of motor function and the ability to perform his previous daily activ-ities; (4) Conclusions: Proper management in vertebral osteomyelitis cases has a great impact on the evolution of the patient, increasing the quality of life, and preventing future complica-tions. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for this type of complex case in order to achieve significant improvements

Keywords

• paraplegia
• vertebral osteomyelitis
• neurorehabilitation