Septic arthritis of the lumbar facet joint with associated epidural abscess treated with endoscopic spinal surgery - A case report

Abstract

Septic arthritis of the facet joint is a rare but severe infection of the spine. Diagnosing septic arthritis of the facet joint may be challenging due to an unusual clinical presentation or confounding symptoms. Most cases are treated with antibiotics with or without surgical debridement, depending on clinical symptoms or severity. Surgical debridement and drainage was traditionally open, but, recently, there has been an increasing interest in the use of minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of spinal infections. We report a case of a 56 year old woman with septic arthritis of the L4/L5 facet joint with an associated epidural abscess that was initially diagnosed as pyelonephritis. The patient was treated with a transforaminal endoscopic debridement, abscess drainage and a course of antibiotics. The outcomes were good, with a rapid improvement in the patient's health and resolution of her fever and back pain.