gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Spinal tuberculosis or Pott's disease is a form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, that commits the spine by up to 50% of cases of bone involvement. We aim to demonstrate its importance in our community and to share the experience of our service in the treatment of this disease.

Method: We collected information on cases of spinal tuberculosis diagnosed and treated at our institution, totaling 23 patients followed up during 30 years, with a mean follow-up of 6 years. The initial complaints were of motor deficit and of radicular pain; all patients were submitted to individualized surgical treatment. Medical treatment included the triple scheme with strict outcome evaluation.

Results: Eight of 9 patients improved the neurological deficit: 6 (75%) patients recovered one or more points in a scale of force and 2 (25%) returned to force level V.

Conclusions: Spinal tuberculosis is a deforming disease with great potential for neurological deficit, whose diagnosis is made with clinical information, reinforced by the imaging studies, and confirmed by the results of biopsy and culture. There is a good response to the spinal cord decompression and the use of antibiotics in the triple drug scheme.