Clinical and surgical outcome in patients with cervical spondylodiscitis-a single-center retrospective case series of 24 patients.

Objective: Cervical spondylodiscitis is a rare pathology, with an incidence of 0.5-2.5 per 100,000 population, posing significant potential risks. This type of infection can lead to neurological impairment in up to 29% of patients. Radical surgical debridement of the infected segment, fusion, and an intravenous antibiotic regimen remains the gold standard in most spine centers. This study aimed to analyze the surgical outcome in a tertiary spine center based on disease severity. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively included all patients diagnosed with cervical spondylodiscitis and treated at the University Hospital Augsburg between January 2017 and May 2022. We collected and analyzed baseline parameters on clinical presentation with symptoms, laboratory parameters, radiological appearance, and surgical parameters such as type of approach and implant, as well as neurological and radiological outcomes. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS, and relevant correlations were examined using the Results: Twenty-four patients (9%) with cervical spondylodiscitis were identified. Twenty-two (92%) surgically treated patients were subdivided into the complicated discitis group ( Conclusion: Cervical spondylodiscitis represents a severe infectious disease that is often associated with permanent neurological damage or a fatal outcome, despite adequate surgical and antibiotic treatments. Complicated types of discitis may require a more challenging surgical and clinical course.