Escherichia coli Vertebral Osteomyelitis Diagnosed According to Broad-range 16S rRNA Gene Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Identifying the causative agent of pyogenic osteomyelitis is often challenging, especially when antibiotics are administered before a biopsy. We herein present a case of osteomyelitis in the cervical vertebrae presenting with progressive paralytic symptoms, in which we successfully identified Escherichia coli from a biopsy specimen using broad-range 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction (PCR) even though sensitive antibiotics had been used for more than 50 days before the biopsy. Broad-range 16S rRNA gene PCR is a useful diagnostic method, especially when prebiopsy antibiotics are unavoidably used for a clinically unstable state.