Tuberculosis of the Left Calcaneum and Collapsed Right Femoral Head: A Case Report

Tuberculosis (TB), one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans, is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease usually affects the lungs, although, in up to one-third of cases, other organs are involved. TB of the bone mimics other clinical conditions such as chronic osteomyelitis, Madura mycosis and actinomycosis.

A fifth child and last-born girl, in a family of living four children, aged 9 years, consulted Kigali University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) on December 7, 2017, from Kibuye Referral Hospital (Western of Rwanda) for ulcerated, infected left heel with swollen foot 4 months before our consultation. Physical examination revealed a patient with swollen and tender foot discharging serous bloody fluids accompanied by inability to stand with a painful right hip. Small left inguinal lymph nodes were present. Blood work-up, computed tomography scan of the left foot, and an incisional biopsy at the level of the left calcaneus were performed and revealed extrapulmonary TB. The histopathological features for TB were scanty, but the high index suspicion of possible extrapulmonary TB led to the confirmation of the diagnosis using auramine-rhodamine special stain. Anti-TB therapy for 12 months course was initiated and the monthly follow-up for 11 months was done.

Although calcaneal TB is very rare, in countries with high incidence of TB, clinicians must have a high suspicion index and skeletal TB must be included in differential diagnosis of bone masses whenever possible bone mass biopsy and special staining technique in addition to most common diagnosis means should be done to rule out the possibility of bone TB.