Clinical and epidemiological aspects of spondylodiscitis in a tertiary care hospital in South India

This study aims to bridge the informational gap regarding the clinical and epidemiological aspects of spondylodiscitis in India, addressing the dearth of substantial evidence in this domain. This study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital over three years, involving 145 adult patients diagnosed with spondylodiscitis. Among them, 28 (19.3%) had Brucellar spondylodiscitis with a younger mean age of 40.1 years, 76 (52.4%) had tubercular spondylodiscitis with a higher mean age of 50.7 years, and 27 (18.6%) had pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Common symptoms included pain while walking (82.1% Brucellar, 93.4% TB, 77.8% pyogenic), fever (39.3% Brucellar, 38.2% TB, 33.3% pyogenic), and limb weakness (25% Brucellar, 46.1% TB, 66.7% pyogenic). CRP (mg/L) levels were elevated in Brucellar (mean 58.75) and pyogenic (mean 60.4) spondylodiscitis patients, with debridement and decompression performed in 50% Brucellar, 55.3% tubercular, and 70.4% pyogenic patients. The study reveals the clinical and epidemiological aspects of spondylodiscitis in South India, contributing to the enrichment of existing knowledge in diagnosis and management.