Infective Discitis Mimicking Infective Endocarditis and Osteoarthritic Back Pain

The case of a 76 year old lady with bacteraemia and persistent back pain is presented. Due to the presence of notable comorbidities, she was initially managed as a case of possible infective endocarditis and severe osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine but subsequently found to have infective discitis. Both infective endocarditis and infective discitis represent conditions that require a high index of suspicion, early diagnosis and institution of appropriate management so as to prevent the development of potentially serious complications. A discussion on the evaluation of patients with infective discitis is presented highlighting some potential pitfalls and diagnostic cautions for the clinician.