Vertebral Osteomyelitis or Infected Abdominal Aortic Endograft? A Rare Case of Q Fever.

Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever, a zoonosis. Vascular infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Osteoarticular Q fever infections are rare. We describe a case of vertebral osteomyelitis with associated infection of an abdominal aortic endograft, caused by C. burnetii. Most probably, an initial pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis extended locally to the endograft. Treatment consisted of antibiotic therapy and surgical resection of the infected aortic endograft and in situ reconstruction with autogenous superficial femoral vein grafts.