[Surgical treatment for tuberculous spondylitis; a case report]

A 64-year-old woman was admitted with the chief complaints of severe back pain. Chest X-ray film on admission showed an abnormal mass lesion in the right upper mediastinum. Chest tomography and chest CT films revealed destruction of thoracic vertebrae (Th 2 and 3) and paravertebral abscess. Chemotherapy containing RFP was started under diagnosis of active tuberculous spondylitis of thoracic vertebrae. Three months later, curative operation for spondylitis were performed. She underwent the resection of necrotic bone and the anterior spinal fusion using transplanted bone autograft. Her post-operative course was good and she discharged three months after curative operation. Tuberculous spondylitis is still important diseases at the differential diagnosis from metastatic vertebral tumors. This report describes a successful case of surgical treatment for tuberculous spondylitis of thoracic vertebrae.