[Primary diaphyseal tuberculosis of the long bones]

Primary tuberculosis of the diaphysis of long bones is extremely rare. In the last 27 years (1955-1982) we observed one female patient with this infection in the shaft of the right femur and one male patient with symmetrical involvement of the tibiae in our Clinic. In both cases, the diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination of the lesions. The relevant literature is reviewed concerning the frequency, age incidence, localisation, clinical features, treatment, prognosis and differential diagnosis of tuberculosis of the diaphysis.