Community-acquired Pseudomonas stutzeri vertebral osteomyelitis in a previously healthy patient: case report and review

Abstract

Pseudomonas stutzeri is a rare pathogen, and its recovery is often associated with colonization and contamination. We report a case that, to our knowledge, is the first of community-acquired P. stutzeri vertebral osteomyelitis in a previously healthy patient, and we review the literature regarding infections with this uncommon organism. Of the 29 previously reported cases of P. stutzeri infection cited in the literature, only two resulted in death, reflecting the relatively low degree of virulence of this organism. Predisposing risk factors for P. stutzeri infection can be categorized as follows: (1) previous surgery or procedure (implying probable nosocomial acquisition), with or without a foreign body; (2) immunocompromise (an underlying predisposition to infection by an organism with low virulence); (3) immunocompromise and a previous procedure; and (4) previous trauma or superficial infection, with or without possible nosocomial contamination. Our patient lacked any known risk factors for either pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis or P. stutzeri infection.