Pott's disease: A case of multilevel vertebral tuberculosis with spinal deformity

Spinal tuberculosis (TB), also known as Pott's disease, occurs in 1%-5% of TB patients. Spine is the most common musculoskeletal extrapulmonary site of infection in TB, with the thoracolumbar region affected the most. Spinal involvement leads to significant deterioration of the vertebrae, paraspinal abscesses, spondylodiscitis and may involve the spinal cord leading to neurologic deficits. Nonspecific signs and symptoms of back pain often delay and complicate the diagnosis. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the commonly used modalities for diagnosis as each can identify early bone destruction and abscess formation. MRI is highly sensitive for detecting disc and cord involvement. We present a case of a 29-year-old male with long standing back pain, diagnosed to be Pott's disease, discussing the role of imaging through computed tomography (CT) and MRI in diagnosis and management of the disease.