Postprocedural Discitis of the Vertebral Spine: Challenges in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Background: In 1953, Frank Turnbull was the first to characterize discitis as a clinical entity; it is an infection of the intervertebral disc (IVD) space. The most common site of injury is the nucleus pulposus, although the vertebral body and cartilaginous end plate can sustain damage. Aim: To assess the diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative difficulties associated with spinal discitis following a procedure. Subjects and methods: This prospective retrospective study was carried out from March 2024 to March 2025 on 30 patients with postprocedural discitis undergoing either conservative or surgically managed treatment, selected from Al-Azhar University Hospitals after approval of the Research Ethics Committee of Al-Azhar University, Egypt. Results: At 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month post-treatment, CRP and ESR levels were noticeably lower than preoperative levels (P<0.05), significantly lower than 1-month levels at 3 and 6-months (P<0.05), and significantly lower than 3-month levels at 6-months (P<0.05). The CRP levels were 84.6±6.03 mg/L on average, with a range of 75.7 to 95.8 mg/L. The average ESR level was 71.2±9.98 mm/hr, whereas the range was 58 to 91.5 mm/hr. Conclusion: Any postoperative patient complaining of persistent, unexplained back pain warrants a high degree of suspicion. The results of the physical exam and the radiographs can confirm the diagnosis right away. Because effective treatment depends on prompt diagnosis, an early prognosis is essential. The majority of instances of postprocedural discitis respond well to conservative treatment; however, it does present a unique therapeutic issue.