Non-contiguous Rare Presentation of Spinal Tuberculosis: A Case Report

Spinal tuberculosis (TB), also known as Pott's disease, is a severe form of extrapulmonary TB that affects the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs. While the typical presentation involves the contiguous involvement of multiple vertebrae, atypical forms, such as non-contiguous multilevel s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-09, Vol.15 (9)
Main Authors: Binsaeedu, Abdullah S, Sadi, Nehal V, Yusuf, Sagal, Yusuf, Salma, Youshay, Humayun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abscesses
Anemia
Back pain
Case reports
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Epidural
Infectious Disease
Internal Medicine
Magnetic resonance imaging
Medicine
Patients
Radiology
Tomography
Tuberculosis
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Summary:Spinal tuberculosis (TB), also known as Pott's disease, is a severe form of extrapulmonary TB that affects the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs. While the typical presentation involves the contiguous involvement of multiple vertebrae, atypical forms, such as non-contiguous multilevel spinal TB (NMLST), can occur. However, diagnosing spinal TB poses challenges due to its gradual onset, nonspecific symptoms, and varying imaging results. The timely diagnosis and treatment of spinal TB are critical to prevent serious consequences, including vertebral damage, irreversible neurological impairment, or even death. In this report, we present the case of a 58-year-old South Asian female who presented with several months of back pain, fatigue, and weight loss. Despite initially negative TB test results, spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) raised suspicion of NMLST, which was later confirmed by bone biopsy. This case highlights the complexities of diagnosing and managing atypical spinal TB presentations while discussing the case findings and reviewing relevant research.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.44881