Abstract
Pyogenic spondylitis frequently occurs in aged or morbid patients, and the clinical features are often atypical. In this study, 24 cases were examined. The average patient age was 64.1 years. The cases were reviewed with regard to basic disease, mode of development, clinical features and treatment results. Twenty-three (96%) of the patients had underlying diseases such as diabetus mellitus, liver cirrhosis and cancer. Twenty-one cases developed acutely, and 3 cases were subacute or chronic. Fourteen of the patients had first consulted other departments or clinics. Six patients did not have high fever, and bacteria were not detected in 16. Although 22 cases (92%) were diagnosed by pathological findings, 2 were diagnosed as metastatic bone tumor or osteoporotic vertebral fracture. Twenty-one cases were treated by conservative therapy, while 3 needed surgery. The periods of therapy ranged from one to 11 months, with an average of 4.5 months.
