Beyond the lung: Presentation and diagnosis of musculoskeletal tuberculosis. Case report

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a public health problem worldwide. Ten million new cases of active TB occur each year worldwide, of which 15% correspond to extrapulmonary (EP) TB. Approximately 1% to 3% of patients with pulmonary TB and 10% to 15% of patients with EP TB present musculoskeletal involvement. There are 5 forms of presentation: tuberculous spondylitis, peripheral arthritis, osteomyelitis, soft tissue involvement, and Poncet's disease. Diagnosis requires the detection, isolation, and identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis except in Poncet's disease, but this result may vary due to the sensitivity and frequency of false negatives with staining techniques. We describe 3 clinical cases of musculoskeletal tuberculosis (MSTB), confirmed by biopsy and with negative Ziehl-Neelsen staining.