Clinical Outcome of Spontaneous Pyogenic Spondylitis in Elderly Patients: Surgical vs. Conservative Treatment |
Jung Hoon Kim1 , Young Mok Park2 , Ho Yeol Zhang2 |
Department of Neurosurgery, 1Spine and Spinal Cord Institute, Gangnam Severance Spine Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea |
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Abstract |
Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of surgical and conservative management of pyogenic spondylitis in elderly patients over 65 years of age.
Methods Between Jan. 2009 and Feb. 2012, we retrospectively reviewed 22 patients over 65 years of age who underwent treatment in our hospital for pyogenic osteomyelitis with or without epidural abscess and discitis of the spine. The medical records of these 22 cases were reviewed and the outcomes of the surgical and conservative treatments were evaluated.
Results Seven patients were treated conservatively, and 15 patients underwent surgery. All 15 patients treated surgically and 6 of the 7 patients treated conservatively showed improvement in pain and paralysis. One patient treated conservatively who had refused to receive surgical treatment died because of general medical complications.
Conclusions Our results show that active management including surgery of pyogenic spondylitis would be beneficial to patients despite their great age. |
Key Words:
Old ageㆍSpondylitisㆍSurgical treatmentㆍConservative management |
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