Tuberculosis of the shoulder joint with impingement syndrome as initial presentation

Tuberculosis of the shoulder can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages. If not diagnosed early, bony tuberculosis may reduce quality of life. Therefore, tuberculosis should be suspected in cases of long-standing pain in the shoulder. It is necessary to keep tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of impingement syndrome of the shoulder. We report a young patient presenting with features suggestive of impingement syndrome. After failure to improve with adequate therapy, the patient was further investigated and diagnosed as having early tuberculosis of the shoulder joint. The patient had good clinical recovery with conservative management. The importance of considering early tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis in impingement syndrome is highlighted.