[Neurosurgical management of paraplegia complicating Pott's disease: a six-case study]

Tuberculosis is a rare disease in economically developed countries. Paraplegia is one of its severe complications, occurring in cases of spondylodiscitis with compressive epiduritis and/or pathological fracture of vertebral bodies with subacute kyphosis. Six patients aged 15-75 years were treated in our department from May 2005 to April 2006 by the same operator (L.N.) for paraplegia complicating Pott's disease. Patients' neurologic function at admission and their outcomes three and 12 months after surgery were graded using the Frankel classification. MRI showed a single lesion in five cases and skip lesions in one case. Standard antituberculosis chemotherapy was started immediately within the first week of admission in five patients following a 12-month regimen. Principles of surgical treatment were ventral spinal cord decompression (with or without dorsal stage procedure), immediate grafting, correction of subacute spinal deformity and instrumentation in all cases. The diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed by laboratory investigations in four cases and by histopathological examination in all cases. One patient who had undergone prior isolated laminectomy performed by an on call team presented neurological deterioration and progressive kyphosis. Neurological outcome improved in five patients. Four of them were able to walk unaided within the first three months after surgery. No perioperative complication occurred. In paraplegia complicating vertebral tuberculosis, overall neurological outcome appeared to be good in case of delayed emergency surgical management combined with antituberculosis chemotherapy.