Tuberculosis of talus: A case report

Osteoarticular tuberculosis represents 1 to 3% of all tuberculosis cases, the tuberculosis of the talus is a very rare form of osteoarticular tuberculosis. Its clinical and radiological features are not specific. In this study, we report a case of ankle tuberculosis involving the talus in a 5-year-old girl.

A 5 years old girl, was admitted for pain, swelling, and functional impairment of the left ankle, on the clinical examination, the patient manifested a painful oedematous ankle. The biological examination revealed a slight inflammatory syndrome, The X-ray of the ankle showed a lytic image of the posterior part of the talus with a cortical involvement. The biopsy revealed an epithelioid cell granuloma without any caseous necrosis. The medical management consisted of anti-tuberculosis multi-drug.

The tuberculosis of the talus is a very rare form of osteoarticular tuberculosis. In this study, we report a rare case of this localization of a 5-year-old girl. The non-specificity of symptoms is the main difficulty that causes a delay in diagnosis. Standard radiology, MRI, and biology were non-contributory. Bone biopsy and anatomopathological study led to the diagnosis of tuberculosis of the talus. The main aims of the surgical treatment are to take some sample for histological study, and to curette the diseased part in the bone followed by 6 to 9 months of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy.

Tuberculosis of the talus is extremely rare, it deserves special attention especially in endemic areas.