tuberculous spondylitis; Pott's disease

Introduction

Infectious arthritis of the spine due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Etiology

• more common in patients with immnodeficiency

Epidemiology

• more common in areas endemic for tuberculosis

Clinical manifestations

• consistent with systemic manifestations of tuberuclosis
  • fever, night sweats

Laboratory

• generally vertebral biopsy required for diagnosis
• tuberculin skin testing
  • may be positive with prior exposure to tuberculosis
  • may be falsely negative in patients with immunodeficiency

Radiology

• chest X-ray may be normal
• x-ray of spine show evidence of vertebral destruction
• computed tomography of spine may show paraspinal mass

Management

• antituberculous therapy is generally curative
• surgery may be required for spine instability due to destruction of disc spaces & vertebral bodies

More general terms

• tuberculous arthritis
• spondylitis

Additional terms

• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)