[Spondylitis due to Salmonella typhimurium].

Very little is known about Salmonella typhimurium as an agent of spondylitis. Only single cases have been described in the international literature over the last years. We report on three patients suffering from spondylitis with Salmonella typhimurium being isolated as the triggering agent and point out the subtly differentiated diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, especially the possible complications of a Salmonella spondylitis. For one of the patients, we diagnosed a concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysm. Another patient sustained an infection of a known aortic aneurysm, which had been operated on 3 years ago. The source of the infection could be either the aneurysm or the spine, with the other structure being infected subsequently. We also discuss possible pathogenesis.