Case report: a student of Asian origin with Pott's disease

We describe a case report of a student of Asian origin who presented with fever of unknown origin, cough, recent onset low back pain and weight loss. Initial physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory results showed inflammation, but extensive testing for bacteriological and viral serology was negative. While the chest Computed Tomography (CT) scan did not show any abnormal findings, pelvic CT scan revealed an osteolytic sacral mass, with extension to the soft tissues and muscles, and concomitant nerve compression. An ultrasonography-guided puncture of the lesion eventually showed Mycobacterium tuberculosis, leading to the diagnosis of tuberculous spondylitis or Pott's disease. The standard tuberculostatic treatment was applied during 9 months with a good clinical result. Skeletal tuberculosis is not common in Western countries and it can be overlooked in foreign patients with fever of unknown origin.