Case report and review: Potts disease and epididymal tuberculosis presenting as back pain and scrotal mass

• Published in: The American journal of emergency medicine 2010-02, Vol.28 (2), p.261.e3-261.e6
• Main Authors: Wiler, Jennifer L., MD, MBA, Shalev, Ronnie, MD, Filippone, Lisa, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Back pain; Back Pain - etiology; Emergency; Emergency medical care; Epidemiology; Epididymitis - complications; Epididymitis - diagnosis; Epididymitis - microbiology; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious diseases; Lumbar Vertebrae; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Psoas Abscess - complications; Psoas Abscess - diagnosis; Psoas Abscess - microbiology; Scrotum; Spine; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Tuberculoma - complications; Tuberculoma - diagnosis; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis, Male Genital - complications; Tuberculosis, Male Genital - diagnosis; Tuberculosis, Spinal - complications; Tuberculosis, Spinal - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0735-6757; 1532-8171
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2009.06.015

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's leading infectious disease killer after AIDS [Tubercle. 1991;72:1-6; Lancet. 2003;362(9387):887-899]. Vertebral TB is the most common form of skeletal TB [Spine. 1997; 22(15):1791-1797], whereas male genital TB is an uncommon form of extrapulmonary TB [Urol Clin North Am. 2003;30(1):111-121]. We present the case of a man who presented to the emergency department with a history of acute on chronic back pain and an incidental scrotal mass. He was subsequently diagnosed with tuberculosis spondylitis (Potts disease) and epididymal tuberculosis. The epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis spondylitis are discussed.