Intervertebral discitis presenting as oligoarthritis

The symptoms of intervertebral discitis may be indistinct, making diagnosis difficult. The onset may be acute or insidious, and radicular or spinal compressive symptoms and signs may be present. Purulent infection may spread to surrounding soft tissues, and epidural abscess formation is recognised. Long term neurological sequelae may result, and mortality of between 7% and 18% has been reported.1,2 Vigilance is required if the diagnosis is to be made early, and treatment should be of adequate duration to reduce the rate of recurrent infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of intervertebral discitis in a patient presenting with an oligoarthritis.