Epidemiologic and clinical profiles of bone and joint tuberculosis: observational study at hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul, Medellín, Colombia, 1994-2004

Abstract

An observational, retrospective study was performed at Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl, in Medellín, Colombia, based on the clinical records of patients with bone and joint tuberculosis between January 1994 and December 2004; based on the findings, epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic characteristics of 47 patients are described. These patients represented 3.4% of the total of tuberculosis cases found in this hospital during the studied period; 35 had spinal tuberculosis and in 12 the disease affected other bones; a history of pulmonary tuberculosis was found in only 7 patients; 23 were males and 24, females; their ages were between 1 and 71 years; 18 were younger than 12 years; cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were positive in 14 patients (29.8%) and biopsies were consistent with tuberculosis in 26 (55.3%). Eleven of the 12 patients with extraspinal disease had the radiological findings of Phemisther. Predominant symptoms of spinal tuberculosis were: pain, neurological manifestations and deformity, mostly kyphosis. From the radiological point of view, these patients had destruction of vertebral bodies and decrease of articular space in addition to osteopenia. Tomography was performed in 19 patients and revealed medullary compression in 5 of them; magnetic resonance carried out in 17 patients showed medullary compression in 8 and paravertebral abscesses in the 17. Results are discussed on the basis of reports from the world medical literature and in the context of the health situation of the Colombian population.