A successful antimicrobial therapeutic strategy for the discitis caused by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans under unknown drug susceptibility: A case report

• Published in: Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy Vol. 24; no. 10; pp. 849 - 851
• Main Authors: Uno, Shunsuke, Horiuchi, Yosuke, Uchida, Takae, Yonaha, Akiko, Miyata, Takanori, Nagano, Eiko, Kodama, Takao, Hasegawa, Naoki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2018
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - drug effects; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Blood Sedimentation - drug effects; Blood Urea Nitrogen; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Discitis; Discitis - blood; Discitis - diagnosis; Discitis - drug therapy; Female; Fever; Humans; Levofloxacin; Levofloxacin - therapeutic use; Low Back Pain; Middle Aged; Pasteurellaceae Infections - blood; Pasteurellaceae Infections - diagnosis; Pasteurellaceae Infections - drug therapy; Quinolone; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Levofloxacin; Quinolone; Discitis
• ISSN: 1341-321X; 1437-7780
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2018.03.013

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is well-known as the pathogen of gingivitis or periodontitis, and discitis or vertebral osteomyelitis cases caused by this organism have rarely been reported. Ampicillin or amoxicillin has been used in the previously reported discitis cases; however, no cases have been reported that is treated with levofloxacin. We report the first published case we chose levofloxacin to treat. We failed to perform the susceptibility testing because of the poor growth and fastidious nature of the organism, and the result of susceptibility of amoxicillin was unclear. Levofloxacin, which A. actinomycetemcomitans is usually susceptible to, can be an effective alternative oral antimicrobial agent in such cases.