Synonyms
Spondylodiscitis, infectious spondylodiscitis, spondylitis, osteomyelitis, spondylitis
Introduction
Spondylodiscitis or spondylitis is generally understood to be the inflammation of the intervertebral disc and surrounding soft tissues such as the base and top plate of the spinal segment. Osteomyelitis of a vertebral body caused by non-specific pathogens is distinguished from inflammation caused by specific pathogens. Specific pathogens include syphilis, tuberculosis and Bang’s disease. The latter is an infection caused by brucella, which can be ingested by ingesting non-pasteurized milk.
Causes
Inflammation of the cervical vertebrae can be caused by various bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Most infections are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a gram-positive bacterium found in clusters, which is opposed to some antibiotics. Other non-specific germs that can cause such an infection are Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus viridans, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pneumococcus, Clostridium perfringens, Proteus mirabilis.
Specific pathogens include Mycobacterium tuberculosae (tuberculosis pathogen), Mycobacterium leprae (leprosy pathogen), brucellosis bacteria (brucellosis pathogen, Malta fever), Salmonella typhosa (digestive tract disease). The most important representatives of the fungi are Candida albicans and Aspergillus. The pathogens can be carried by the bloodstream from other inflammatory areas in the body.
In this case one speaks of a hematogenic scattering. Another possibility is infection as a result of minor surgery, which is then referred to as iatrogenic. These can also be further away from the spinal column, but direct bacterial contamination can also be the cause.
Some patients may be more susceptible to bacterial inflammation in the area of the cervical spine due to an underlying disease. These underlying diseases include alcoholism, diabetes mellitus and long-term use of immunosuppressive cortisone. Cervical neuritis is a painful inflammation of a nerve that bundles together from many nerve fibers and then exits at the level of the cervical spine.
Irritation and pressure from other physical structures, metabolic toxins, multiple sclerosis, lack of supply and many other reasons can lead to nerve inflammation. Often the cause can be explained by long-term tension and poor posture in the neck area. The severity of neuritis of the cervical vertebrae varies from patient to patient and ranges from slight discomfort to loss of function.
The majority of these complaints would then manifest themselves in the arms or shoulder area. This can be explained by the fact that the nerves that emerge from the cervical vertebrae mainly supply the shoulder and arm region. If a nerve is irritated in its course, the symptoms can appear along its entire length and lead to problems and pain.
In most cases, the symptoms last only for a few days and subside by themselves. If, however, a chronic malposition is found in the cervical spine, for example, and this is not corrected, the inflammation can drag on for a long time. More about this:
- Cervical Spine Syndrome
If there are complaints in the cervical spine area, an inflammation of the joint of a cervical vertebra can also be the cause.
A typical occurrence of this symptom is attributed to rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, especially in small joints such as the cervical vertebrae. Then it is a rare special form of rheumatoid arthritis, which is called cervical arthritis.
Often one of the first symptoms is the sensation of pain in the area of the neck with intensification when turning the head. Particularly noticeable is also an early morning pain in the neck, which is considered characteristic of this disease. The earliest possible diagnosis of cervical arthritis should be sought, since the inflammatory processes can also destroy the ligaments of the cervical spine.
The ligaments are very important for stabilizing the cervical spine, which is ultimately responsible for protecting the spinal cord. If there is a reduction in stability, in the worst case this can result in injuries to the spinal cord. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and can manifest itself, among other things, through pain in the neck area.
In contrast to the inflammation of the cervical vertebrae, however, the nerve tissue is inflamed here.The differences between the two diseases can be easily determined by diagnostic imaging procedures. However, if the immune system is shut down by medication during the therapy of multiple sclerosis, this can promote the development of cervical spondylitis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease and is characterized by an increase in symptoms during its course.
One goal is therefore to stop the triggering processes of the patient’s immune system, which drive multiple sclerosis, by means of medication. However, this can lead to the fact that pathogens can no longer be fended off so well in other parts of the body where the immune system is required to act, and that diseases that have no chance in the normal population can spread. A typical symptom of multiple sclerosis is Lehrmitt’s sign, which makes the patient feel electrifying sensations from the neck down while bending the head forward.
