Abstract

ARENAS-RUIZ, CAROLINA; DIAZ-DIAZ, ALEJANDRO; MESA-MONSALVE, JUAN GONZALO  and  TRUJILLO, MONICA. Pott's disease in a pediatric patient. CES Med. [online]. 2014, vol.28, n.2, pp.253-262. ISSN 0120-8705.

Tuberculosis is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world; extrapulmonary manifestations occur in 10 to 15% and skeletal compromise in 1 to 2% of the total cases, up to half of these patients may have tuberculosis of the spine or Pott's disease, being most frequently affecting the lumbar and the lower segments of the spine. The most common symptom is a progressive and long lasting back pain, accompanied by constitutional symptoms. Antituberculous treatment using four drug regimens has shown high rates of success, avoiding the need for surgery. We present the following case of a pediatric patient whit Pott's disease, which began with a chronic lumbar pain, fever and constitutional symptoms, lumbar compromise was confirmed by diagnostic imaging, he was taken to surgery and staining of the fluid was positive for acid fast bacilli, primary pulmonary involvement was also showed. Due to the underestimation of tuberculosis in our country, we present this report to bring our attention to the need of a high index of suspicion in order to have a prompt diagnosis and treatment to avoid long term morbidity of this disease

Keywords : Spinal tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Lumbar vertebrae.

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