Total hip replacement infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A case report with review of literature

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis infection of a total joint prosthesis in patients with previous pulmonary or osteoarticular tuberculosis is well recorded in literature. We describe the case of a 59-year-old woman with tuberculous infection complicating a total hip arthroplasty 15 months after surgery for osteoarthritis. The patient had no prior history of exposure to tuberculosis and no evidence of pulmonary or osteoarticular tuberculosis. She was treated with four-drug antituberculous chemotherapy for 12 months with retention of the prosthesis. The purpose of this case report and literature review is to highlight to the Western Orthopaedic surgeon the importance of keeping in mind a differential diagnosis of tuberculosis while dealing with prosthetic joint infections. The infection of a joint with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in patients without previous tuberculosis is very uncommon. We have reviewed the surgical and medical management of the cases reported in literature.