Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Dec 31;10(1):30.
doi: 10.3390/antibiotics10010030.

Characteristics, Management and Outcomes of Spondylodiscitis in Children: A Systematic Review

Irene Ferri  1 , Gabriele Ristori  2 , Catiuscia Lisi  1 , Luisa Galli  1 , Elena Chiappini  1
Affiliations
Review

Characteristics, Management and Outcomes of Spondylodiscitis in Children: A Systematic Review

Irene Ferri et al. Antibiotics (Basel). .

Abstract

Spondylodiscitis (SD) is the concurrent infection of the intervertebral disc and the adjacent vertebral bodies. Currently, there is a substantial lack of structured reviews about this topic. The aim of this study was to systematically review the available literature in order to determine the main features of pediatric SD. A systematic search of MEDLINE database was performed, according to the PRISMA guideline recommendations. Clinical features, laboratory data, radiological signs, treatments strategies, and outcomes were summarized. Studies' quality assessments were performed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists. A total of 35 retrospective studies were analyzed and 340 children were identified. The most frequently affected age class was 0.5-4 years. The most affected site was the lumbar spine. The most commonly reported symptoms were back pain (37.97%) and refusal to walk/to stand/to sit (49.79%). The most frequently identified pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus (n = 33). The most used antibiotics were third generation cephalosporins. The intravenous therapy duration range was 1-25 weeks, the oral therapy duration range was 5 days-36 months. Surgery was used in 5.88% of children. In 29 cases clinical sequelae were documented. This study provides the main features of pediatric SD; it also emphasizes the significant gaps in the literature regarding this topic.

Keywords: antibiotic therapy; children; discitis; pediatric; spondylodiscitis; vertebral osteomyelitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart highlighting the process of study selection for each step of the Systematic Review, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Quality assessment of the included studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Quality assessment of the included studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Series.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bianchini S., Esposito A., Principi N., Esposito S. Spondylodiscitis in Paediatric Patients: The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Prolonged Therapy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2018;15:1195. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061195. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gouliouris T., Aliyu S.H., Brown N.M. Spondylodiscitis: Update on Diagnosis and Management. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 2010;65:iii11–iii24. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkq303. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Principi N., Esposito S. Infectious Discitis and Spondylodiscitis in Children. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2016;17:539. doi: 10.3390/ijms17040539. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fernandez M., Carrol C.L., Baker C.J. Discitis and Vertebral Osteomyelitis in Children: An 18-Year Review. Pediatrics. 2000;105:1299–1304. doi: 10.1542/peds.105.6.1299. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kayser R., Mahlfeld K., Greulich M., Grasshoff H. Spondylodiscitis in Childhood: Results of a Long-Term Study. Spine. 2005;30:318–323. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000152097.57891.98. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources