Vertebral Osteomyelitis Secondary to a Retroperitoneal Abscess in an Adolescent Male: A Case Report

Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO) is included in a spectrum of spine infections called spondylodiscitis. It is commonly caused by hematogenous seeding. The annual incidence of spondylodiscitis is 2.4 per 100,000 person-years and the incidence triples for people over seventy. We report a case of a previously healthy 14-year-old male with a rare presentation of vertebral osteomyelitis associated with a large retroperitoneal abscess of unknown origin, manifested with flank pain, back pain, and fever, and treated with antibiotics with good short-term outcomes. We concluded that vertebral osteomyelitis in adolescent patients could manifest with back or flank pain. Moreover, it can occur as an extraperitoneal manifestation of a retroperitoneal abscess.