Clinical study of spinal tuberculosis presenting with neuro-deficits in Western India

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) is a destructive extra-pulmonary disease manifestation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. It is responsible for many cases of paraparesis and quadriparesis in developing countries where patients seek treatment late. The aim of this study was to understand and analyze the clinical and radiological profile of patients with spinal TB and correlate it with the anatomical site affected by it.

A retrospective, observational study of 100 cases of spinal TB admitted over a period of three years. Data on demography, clinical signs and symptoms and investigations were analyzed.

Incidence of spinal TB was found to be the highest in the third and fourth decade of life (45%). Incidence among males was 64% and females was 36%. Low socioeconomic class (72%) and past history of pulmonary TB (34%) were found to be risk factors for spinal TB. Average duration between onset of symptoms and time of presentation to the hospital was 154±15.5 days. Patients with bone involvement presented later than those without bone involvement. Paraplegia (91%) and backache (62%) were the most common clinical presentation. Thoracic spine involvement (36%) and vertebral wedging and destruction (58%) were the commonest X-ray findings. 69% patients had compressive lesion with vertebral body destruction being the commonest cause of compression.

Spinal TB with neurological deficits affected the thoracic spine. Compressive spinal cord lesions were the common form of presentation of spinal TB. Paraplegia with backache and neurological bladder-bowel involvement were the most prevalent neuro-deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine proved to be the most useful investigation to differentiate and localize the site of tubercular lesions.