Spinal tuberculosis in developed countries: difficulties in diagnosis

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Infectious Diseases
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Spinal tuberculosis presents diagnostic challenges.
• Clinical features often overlap with spinal malignancy.
• Neurological deficits are a common complication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review diagnostic methods for spinal tuberculosis.
• To analyze surgical treatment approaches.
• To discuss implications for patient management.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 21 spinal tuberculosis cases.
• Analysis of clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, and surgical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Common symptoms include back pain (95%), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (100%), and neurological deficits (47%).
• Radiological diagnosis was achieved in less than 50% of cases.
• Microbiological confirmation required tissue or pus analysis.

Conclusions:

• Spinal tuberculosis diagnosis is difficult due to non-specific symptoms and imaging findings.
• Timely and appropriate surgical intervention is critical for patients with neurological deficits.
• Diagnostic delays can impact surgical timing and outcomes.