*53-years-old patient with back pain and fever.
What is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer
Answer: Tuberculous spondylitis (Pott disease) with the paravertebral and the epidural abscess.
Case Discussion:
Pott disease is also known as tuberculous spondylodiscitis and refers to vertebral body and intervertebral disc involvement with tuberculosis (TB) [1]. Spine is the most frequent location of the TB in the musculoskeletal system; commonly related symptoms are back pain and lower limb weakness/paraplegia
Tuberculous spondylitis, also known as Pott disease, refers to vertebral body and intervertebral disc involvement with tuberculosis (TB). Spine is the most frequent location of the TB in the musculoskeletal system and commonly related symptoms are back pain and lower limb weakness/paraplegia.
Lumbar Spine MRI images showing L4 spondylodiscitis with avid contrast enhancement involving the L4 vertebral body and the adjacent paravertebral and the epidural collections.
References:
1.Kumar (2016) Spinal tuberculosis, natural history of disease, classifications and principles of management with historical perspective. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol.
2. Kumar Y, Gupta N, Chhabra A, Fukuda T, Soni N, Hayashi D (2017) Magnetic resonance imaging of bacterial and tuberculous spondylodiscitis with associated complications and non-infectious spinal pathology mimicking infections: a pictorial review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord.