ArticleJournal of neurosurgery. Case lessons2025
Mycobacterium abscessus infection of uncertain etiology following lumbar spine decompression and instrumentation: illustrative case.
Article in Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- A hidden threat: a case of relapsed disseminatedJournal of bone and joint infection · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMycobacterium abscessus, a rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacterium, is known for its resistance to standard antimicrobial therapies and its association with pulmonary and soft tissue infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Spinal infections caused by M. abscessus are rare, with limited reported cases, especially in immunocompetent individuals. OBSERVATIONS: The authors report the case of a 76-year-old male who developed a deep-seated M. abscessus infection following lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Despite an initial postoperative recovery, the patient experienced progressive symptoms requiring multiple surgical washouts, removal of spinal hardware, and prolonged multidrug antibiotic therapy. Diagnostic challenges were compounded by the organism's resistance and the emergence of a possible underlying lymphoproliferative disorder. Comprehensive microbiological testing, including acid-fast bacilli cultures, identified the pathogen and guided targeted therapy. LESSONS: This case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic complexities of managing multidrug-resistant pathogens like M. abscessus in postoperative settings. Early microbiological testing, multidisciplinary collaboration, and individualized treatment strategies were critical to the patient's recovery. Additionally, the present case underscores the need for vigilance in identifying atypical infections and potential immunological dysregulation in postoperative patients. Further research is essential to refine prevention and management approaches for rare and challenging infections. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24891.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.