Streptococcus viridans osteomyelitis with endocarditis presenting as acute onset lower back pain.

An elderly male with a history of diabetes mellitus and a recent dental procedure presented to the emergency department with acute lumbosacral pain and low grade fever. Computerized tomography (CT scan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) yielded a presumptive diagnosis of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis. A diagnosis of viridans Streptococcus vertebral osteomyelitis was confirmed by gallium scanning and blood culture. The literature has emphasized the occurrence of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis as a chronic process. A review suggests that viridans Streptococci, although an uncommon cause of this disorder, is usually associated with back pain of more acute onset. It is therefore recommended that pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis be considered in any patient presenting to the emergency department with the acute onset of lower back pain, fever, leukocytosis and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.