Spinal Tuberculosis and Cold Abscess without Known Primary Disease: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Spinal Tuberculosis and Cold Abscess without Known Primary Disease: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is uncommon but not rare. Bone and joint involvement constitute about 10% of extrapulmonary TB cases, with the spine being the most frequently affected site. Spinal TB patients typically present with back pain but other constitutional or pulmonary symptoms may be abs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Case reports in infectious diseases Vol. 2016; no. 2016; pp. 1 - 4
Main Authors: Alcid, David, Shay, Emily, Gannamani, Vedavyas, Patel, Rima
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01-01-2016
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Hindawi Limited
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abscess
Back pain
Care and treatment
Case Report
Case studies
Development and progression
Hospitals
Industrialized nations
Intervention
Medical imaging
Microscopy
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Paralysis
Spine
Tomography
Tuberculosis
United States > US
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Summary:Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is uncommon but not rare. Bone and joint involvement constitute about 10% of extrapulmonary TB cases, with the spine being the most frequently affected site. Spinal TB patients typically present with back pain but other constitutional or pulmonary symptoms may be absent, rendering the diagnosis difficult. This case explores challenges in the diagnosis of spinal TB. We report a case of a 39-year-old woman presenting with vague back swelling for many years. Imaging revealed osteomyelitis of the spine but initial studies and cultures were negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The diagnosis was confirmed weeks later when cultures demonstrated Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Considering the severe complications of untreated spinal TB including paraplegia and need for surgical intervention, high suspicion is critical in early diagnosis.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
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Academic Editor: Daniela M. Cirillo
ISSN:2090-6625
2090-6633
DOI:10.1155/2016/1780153