CAJ | 학술논문

Objective To report a case of cryptococcus neoformans osteomyelitis of the sacral vertebrae and to analyze the cause of misdiagnosis. Methods The clinical data of a patient with cryptococcus neoformans osteomyelitis of the sacral vertebrae who was adopted in 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Results Intermittent pain in the sacrum occurred to the patient without any obvious precipitating factors, which became worse at night. And meanwhile, the patient had low-grade fever. Whole body bone scan and single photon emission computed tomography ( SPECT )/CT showed abnormally active metabolism in the sacrum and bony defects and changes in the right margin. Therefore, bone tumors were considered. Sacral metastases was conifrmed using CT-guided needle aspiration biopsy. Debridement was performed after multidisciplinary consultation. The intraoperative frozen pathology presented fungal infections. The postoperative routine pathological examination showed pyogenic and inlfammatory granulomas and there were fungal spores in the histocytes. At last, sacral cryptococcus infections was diagnosed. Conclusions The partial performance of cryptococcus neoformans osteomyelitis of the sacral vertebrae is similar to that of malignant tumors of the sacral vertebrae. So clinical doctors should raise the awareness of the disease. It is necessary to ifrst rule out the possibility of cryptococcus neoformans osteomyelitis of the sacral vertebrae before making the diagnosis of malignant tumors of the sacral vertebrae.