Introduction
Spondylodiscitis (SD) is an infection of the intervertebral disc with involvement of the adjacent vertebral bodies. Diagnostic tests with CT-guided biopsy only provide a positive yield in 14%–48% of cases. Percutaneous endoscopic debridement and drainage (PEDD) has recently shown promise in the treatment of spondylodiscitis.
Research question
The purpose of this study is to determine differences in pathogen identification and clinical outcomes for PEDD versus CT-guided needle biopsy in SD patients.
Materials and methods
We conducted a systematic review of the literature using PRISMA guidelines to determine differences in positive microbiology results, perioperative complications, pain control, and long-term clinical outcomes for PEDD vs. CT-guided needle biopsy in SD patients.
Results
1078 studies were evaluated, 87 of which underwent full review. 15 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 7 PEDD, 7 CT-guided biopsy, and 1 CT-guided biopsy vs. PEDD article, for a total of 192 PEDD patients and 604 CT-guided biopsy patients. We found 36.59% of CT-guided biopsy patients had positive microbiology results, compared to 84.38% of PEDD patients. No major perioperative complications occurred as a result of the PEDD procedure. Of the five PEDD studies that reported pain outcomes, greater than 80% of patients experienced relief after intervention.
Discussion and conclusion
These results suggest that PEDD may improve pathogen identification while simultaneously reducing pain compared to CT-guided needle biopsy in SD. Although current treatment guidelines recommend CT-guided biopsy, in patients with severe back pain and suspected SD, PEDD can be considered an alternative intervention.