Chest Pain? An Unusual Presentation of Vertebral Osteomyelitis

Abstract EN

We present a case of vertebral osteomyelitis presenting as chest pain.

The patient initially underwent a CT chest angiogram to rule out a pulmonary embolism, which incidentally showed a soft tissue vertebral mass at T3-T4 disk space.

Subsequent thoracic vertebral MRI was consistent with osteomyelitis with cord compression.

Tissue culture from a CT-guided biopsy grew MRSA.

The patient was successfully treated with Vancomycin.

This is a rare presentation of vertebral osteomyelitis which poses an interesting diagnostic challenge.