2019 Volume 35 Issue 2 Pages 122-125
We herein report a case of infectious spondylitis mimicking a urinary tract infection which was successfully diagnosed by imaging studies. A 14-year-old boy visited a local clinic due to symptoms of fever and back pain and was found to have white blood cells in his urine. Antibiotic therapy was thus started. However, the symptoms persisted. As a result, he was referred to our hospital with a fever 5 days after the initial presentation. We carried out an ultrasounds examination, and an iso-hypoechoic area was observed in his right kidney. Next, we performed contrast computed tomography to examine the renal abscess, and signs of inflammation were observed around the L5/S1 region. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a high signal on the right side of the L5 vertebral body and surrounding tissue. We therefore diagnosed the patient with spondylitis based on the imaging findings. After six weeks of appropriate antibiotic therapy, the patient demonstrated a complete recovery. Although infectious spondylitis is a relatively rare disease in children, imaging studies should nevertheless be carefully utilized in cases of unknown lower back pain accompanied by a fever.
