A four-year misdiagnosis of spinal Burkholderia pseudomallei infection: a case report and literature review

Melioidosis, traditionally an endemic disease, is increasingly reported in non-endemic regions. Its causative pathogen, Burkholderia pseudomallei , exhibits distinct characteristics from common pathogens but is prone to misdiagnosis due to clinical overlap with other infections. Despite advances in diagnostics, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has not been featured in case reports. We present a case of melioidosis, misdiagnosed for four years, where mNGS proved pivotal for definitive diagnosis. Based on our findings and literature review, we advocate for mNGS in melioidosis diagnosis. Furthermore, we identify subtle distinctions between melioidosis and tuberculosis amidst their similarities and propose integrating these features into a differential diagnostic framework.