Tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis in the new millennium: still a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

In order to determine the clinical features and current prognosis of tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis, the charts of all patients diagnosed with definite or probable tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis from January 1983 to June 2002 ( n=78) were reviewed. The mean delay to diagnosis was 6.1 months. Sixty-five (83.3%) patients had inflammatory spinal pain, 35 (44.9%) had some neurological deficit, and only 27 (34.6%) had fever. Paravertebral, epidural, and psoas abscesses were detected in 73.1, 65.4, and 24.4% of the cases, respectively. Culture was positive in 48% of the percutaneous biopsies and in 61.7% of the open biopsies. After histological findings were included, the diagnostic yield of percutaneous biopsies was 68%. Fifty-five (70.5%) patients required surgical treatment at some stage of the disease. Although no deaths were directly attributable to tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis and only 5.1% of patients relapsed, the mean overall hospital stay was 69.1+/-36.9 days, and 30 (38.5%) patients had severe functional sequelae. In conclusion, diagnosis of tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis requires a high degree of suspicion. Percutaneous biopsy should be undertaken as soon as possible in any patient with compatible symptoms or radiological images in order to initiate suitable therapy.