A man in his seventies with spinal cord injury, fever and delirium.

INTRODUCTION

Spinal cord injury includes damage to the motor, sensory and autonomic nervous system.

CASE PRESENTATION: A man in his seventies was admitted to hospital after an acute traumatic incomplete cervical spinal cord injury. Over the following weeks, he experienced multiple febrile episodes with CRP elevated to 100 – >300 mg/L, but few other symptoms. Two weeks after admission, he was febrile with neuropathic pain, and oxygen saturation spontaneously decreased from 98 % to 87 %. Chest X-ray showed pneumonia, which was treated with antibiotics. Four weeks after the injury he again experienced fever and increased spasticity. Clinical examination revealed dull abdominal pain on palpation in the left upper quadrant. The same day, a PEG placement procedure had been performed. CT abdomen, chest X-ray and microbiological investigation revealed no clear infectious origin. The patient was treated with antibiotic coverage for presumed abdominal infection, with successful recovery. Two months after his injury, the patient became febrile and delirious. Clinical examination revealed mild pain on palpation in the upper right quadrant. CT abdomen revealed cholecystitis.

DISCUSSION: Diagnosis of acute serious illness in a patient with spinal cord injury may be challenging due to scarce and atypical clinical presentation. Prevalence of gallstones is increased after spinal cord injury.