An atypical presentation of tuberculosis of the spine

Abstract

We present a retrospective analysis of 684 patients operated on for a herniated lumbar intervertebral disc. Of the 87 patients with a failed back syndrome, 12 were confirmed to have tuberculous infection of the same disc interval. These patients responded satisfactorily to bracing and a short course of anti-tubercular chemotherapy. Histopathological confirmation of the disease was obtained by CT guided biopsy, and only a few of the patients required repeat surgery. This study highlights one of the atypical presentations of tuberculosis of the spine as a herniated lumbar intervertebral disc and a cause of a failed back syndrome. Advanced imaging techniques such as MRI and CT scans are helpful in the early detection of such conditions.