[A 45 year-old male with lumbar tumours]

A 45 year old Filipino male, with history of Hepatitis B virus infection, was seen in his primary care clinic with a lumbar mass for the past three months. On physical examination the lower limbs showed decrease strength, chest X-rays showed bilateral thickening of the apical pleura, the Mantoux skin test was positive and a lumbar magnetic resonance imaging study showed a compression fracture of D4 vertebral body and soft-tissue abscess in L1. Microbiological examination was positive for M. tuberculosis complex, and with the diagnosis of Pott́s disease, he began treatment. With the advent of anti-tuberculosis drugs, spinal involvement of tuberculosis is rare, but it continues to have a high impact on morbidity. Treatment of vertebral involvement is based on anti-tuberculosis drugs and surgery.