What is tuberculous spondylitis?

Tuberculous spondylitis, also known as Pott disease, refers to vertebral body osteomyelitis and intervertebral discitis from tuberculosis (TB). The spine is the most frequent location of musculoskeletal tuberculosis, and commonly related symptoms are back pain and lower limb weakness/paraplegia.

What are the symptoms of Potts?

Symptoms and Causes

  • High blood pressure/low blood pressure.
  • High/low heart rate; racing heart rate.
  • Chest pain.
  • Dizziness/lightheadedness especially in standing up, prolonged standing in one position, or long walks.
  • Fainting or near-fainting.
  • Exhaustion/fatigue.
  • Abdominal pain and bloating, nausea.

What is the first stage of Pott’s paraplegia?

There were five stages of Pott paraplegia: Stage 1: Deficit only evident, based on the clinical examination by the clinician (ankle clonus, exaggerated deep tendon reflexes and Babinski or plantar extensor) Stage 2: Patient has UMN-type of a motor deficit with spasticity, however, is still ambulatory.

What causes tuberculous spondylitis?

Historically dubbed Pott’s disease, tuberculous spondylitis is usually caused by M. tuberculosis; however, another species of mycobacteria may be the culprit. Tuberculosis spondylitis generally results from hematogenous spread of the pathogen via a pulmonary or genitourinary source.

Is TB in spine curable?

The major sites affected in bone tb are spine and weight bearing joints. It is a serious condition since it destroys the thoracic and leads to bone deformity. It is extremely important to detect bone tb symptoms as soon as possible. Bone tb is a curable condition if detected soon.

How do you treat bone TB?

Medications are the first line of defense for bone tuberculosis, and the course of treatment can last anywhere from 6–18 months. Treatments include: antituberculosis medications, such as rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide.

Can Potts disease be cured?

Thankfully, the current medical treatments of spinal surgery and anti-TB chemotherapy are extremely successful at treating and reversing the damage of Pott’s Disease, especially if it is caught early.

Is Pott’s disease painful?

Back pain is the earliest and most common symptom of Pott disease, with patients usually experiencing this problem for weeks before seeking treatment. The pain caused by Pott disease can be spinal or radicular.

What are the symptoms of spine TB?

The characteristic clinical features of spinal tuberculosis include local pain, local tenderness, stiffness and spasm of the muscles, a cold abscess, gibbus, and a prominent spinal deformity. The cold abscess slowly develops when tuberculous infection extends to adjacent ligaments and soft tissues.

How do you get Potts disease?

Pott’s disease begins when tuberculosis spreads to the spine. Tuberculosis is an airborne infection that begins when an individual inhales mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes the disease.

Can MRI detect bone TB?

MRI offers excellent visualization of the bone and soft tissue components of spinal tuberculosis and helps to identify disease at distant asymptomatic sites. CT is useful in assessing bone destruction, but is less accurate in defining the epidural extension of the disease and therefore its effect on neural structures.

Is bone TB Serious?

Bone tuberculosis is relatively rare, but in the last few decades the prevalence of this disease has increased in developing nations partially as a result of the spread of AIDS. While rare, bone tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose and can lead to severe problems if left untreated.

Tuberculous spondylitis, also known as Pott disease, refers to vertebral body osteomyelitis and intervertebral discitis from tuberculosis (TB). The spine is the most frequent location of musculoskeletal tuberculosis, and commonly related symptoms are back pain and lower limb weakness/paraplegia.

Which MRI findings are characteristic of tuberculous spondylitis (TS)?

Contrast-enhanced MRI findings are useful in differentiating tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis. MRI findings in Pott disease include thin and smooth enhancement of the abscess wall and a well-defined paraspinal abnormal signal.

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis of the spine?

The spine is the most frequent location of musculoskeletal tuberculosis, and commonly related symptoms are back pain and lower limb weakness/paraplegia. Tuberculous spondylitis is one of the more common infections of spine in countries where TB is prevalent.

What is the prognosis of tuberculous involvement of the spine?

Tuberculous involvement of the spine has the potential to cause serious morbidity, including permanent neurologic deficits and severe deformities. Medical treatment or combined medical and surgical strategies can control the disease in most patients. [ 4, 5]