A Difficult Decision in an Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus-Associated Spondylodiscitis: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Blood stream infections cause high morbidity and mortality in patients with hematological malignancies. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a multidrug resistant bacteria and produces biofilm, causing catheter-related bloodstream infections. MRSA bacteremia can lead to metastatic infections, including pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Treatment requires a long period of up to 12 weeks. In patients with hematologic malignancies, it may be necessary to start bone marrow transplantation as soon as possible. Here, we present the difficult decision of a patient who was receiving chemotherapy for relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and required hematopoietic stem cell transplantation but was diagnosed with MRSA spondylodiscitis.

Keywords: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Catheter-related bloodstream infections; Pyogenic spondylodiscitis; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation