%0 Case Reports
%T Is Shigella an under-recognized pathogen? A case of pyogenic cervical spondylitis caused by Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri infection.
%A Zhang J
%A Liu Y
%A Wu H
%A Zhou L
%J IDCases
%V 35
%N 0
%D 2024
%M 38327879
暂无%R 10.1016/j.idcr.2024.e01930
%X Shigella typically causes gastrointestinal infections, and extra-intestinal manifestations are rare. We report the first known case of pyogenic cervical spondylitis co-infected with Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri, highlighting the diagnostic challenges and clinical implications. A 53-year-old woman presented with neck pain for one month. MRI revealed C6 and C7 vertebrae abscesses. The patient underwent anterior cervical debridement and bone-graft fusion. Intraoperative pus culture grew Escherichia coli, while metagenomic next-generation sequencing detected both Escherichia coli and Shigella species. Intravenous imipenem 500 mg every 6 h was administered, leading to full wound healing at a 6-month follow-up. This case emphasizes the importance of considering Shigella infection in the differential diagnosis of pyogenic spondylitis and demonstrates the utility of a multi-pronged diagnostic approach.