Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37594939›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

A clinical prediction model to differentiate tuberculous spondylodiscitis from pyogenic spontaneous spondylodiscitis.

Thamrong Lertudomphonwanit, Chirtwut Somboonprasert, Kittiphon Lilakhunakon, Suphaneewan Jaovisidha, Thumanoon Ruangchaijatuporn, Praman Fuangfa, Sasivimol Rattanasiri, Siriorn Watcharananan, Pongsthorn Chanplakorn

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Tuberculosis in Turkiye: Epidemiological insights and recommendations for progress.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2025
    Review
  8. Review
  9. Infection ofRadiology case reports · 2025
    Article
  10. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Thamrong LertudomphonwanitFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Chirtwut SomboonprasertFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Kittiphon LilakhunakonFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Suphaneewan JaovisidhaFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Thumanoon RuangchaijatupornFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Praman FuangfaFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sasivimol RattanasiriFaculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Siriorn WatcharanananFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Departments of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Pongsthorn ChanplakornFaculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0002-7496-2670
Mahidol University · TH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMicrobiological diagnosis of tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TS) and pyogenic spontaneous spondylodiscitis (PS) is sometime difficult. This study aimed to identify the predictive factors for differentiating TS from PS using clinical characteristics, radiologic findings, and biomarkers, and to develop scoring system by using predictive factors to stratify the probability of TS.

methodsA retrospective single-center study. Demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and radiographic findings of patients, confirmed causative pathogens of PS or TS, were assessed for independent factors that associated with TS. The coefficients and odds ratio (OR) of the final model were estimated and used to construct the scoring scheme to identify patients with TS.

resultsThere were 73 patients (51.8%) with TS and 68 patients (48.2%) with PS. TS was more frequently associated with younger age, history of tuberculous infection, longer duration of symptoms, no fever, thoracic spine involvement, ≥3 vertebrae involvement, presence of paraspinal abscess in magnetic-resonance-image (MRI), well-defined thin wall abscess, anterior subligamentous abscess, and lower biomarker levels included white blood cell (WBC) counts, erythrocyte-sedimentation-rate (ESR), neutrophil fraction, and C-reactive protein (all p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed significant predictors of TS included WBC ≤9,700/mm3 (odds ratio [OR] 13.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.23-40.61), neutrophil fraction ≤78% (OR 4.93, 95% CI 1.59-15.30), ESR ≤92 mm/hr (OR 4.07, 95% CI 1.24-13.36) and presence of paraspinal abscess in MRI (OR 10.25, 95% CI 3.17-33.13), with an area under the curve of 0.921. The scoring system stratified the probability of TS into three categories: low, moderate, and high with a TS prevalence of 8.1%, 29.6%, and 82.2%, respectively.

conclusionsThis prediction model incorporating WBC, neutrophil fraction counts, ESR and presence of paraspinal abscess accurately predicted the causative pathogens. The scoring scheme with combination of these biomarkers and radiologic features can be useful to differentiate TS from PS.

Indexed as

DiscitisTuberculosisAbscessHumansModels, StatisticalPrognosisRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID37594939
PMCPMC10437852
OpenAlexW4385972253

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.