Was isolation of Veillonella from spinal osteomyelitis possible due to poor tissue perfusion?

Bongaerts, G.P.A.; Schreurs, B.W.; Lunel, F.Verduyn; Lemmens, J.A.M.; Pruszczynski, M.; Merkx, M.A.W.

doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2004.02.052

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Volume 63, Issue 4 , Pages 659-661, 2004

Was isolation of Veillonella from spinal osteomyelitis possible due to poor tissue perfusion?

G.P.A. Bongaerts
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, NL- 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +31-24-361-43-58; fax: +31-24-35402
B.W. Schreurs
- Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
F.Verduyn Lunel
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, NL- 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
J.A.M. Lemmens
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
M. Pruszczynski
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
M.A.W. Merkx
- Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Received 25 February 2004; accepted 26 February 2004.

Abstract

From a needle biopsy of the body of the 12th thoracic vertebra in a 74-year-old man with spinal osteomyelitis a Veillonella parvula was isolated. The significance of this bacterium as lactic acid indicator has been considered and discussed. Since this strictly anaerobic bacterium mainly uses lactic acid for energy generation, lactic acid must continuously and sufficiently have been produced in or near to the vertebrate body to permit outgrowth of this bacterium. Since neither microbial infections nor tumours could be demonstrated, we finally hypothesised that in this patient poor tissue perfusion has been the primary cause of lactic acid production.