Medical-surgical treatment of progressive tuberculous (Pott's) paraplegia in Gabon

The present study deals with the results of the medical-surgical treatment of 22 patients with Pott's tetraplegia or paraplegia. Seventeen had progressive tetraplegia-paraplegia which failed to respond solely to medical treatment. On admission, four patients exhibited an acute onset tetraplegia-paraplegia, and one had a 'spinal tumour syndrome'. In addition to antituberculous therapy, seven patients had anterior spinal surgery, consisting of four corporectomies, two anterior debridments and grafting, and one debridment alone. Moreover, one patient had a posterior interbody fusion, four had laminotomies, and 10 had laminectomies. The causes of the spinal cord or cauda equina compression, as was determined at operation, were extradural abscess in eight patients, bony compressions in 11, arachnoiditis in two, and posterior neural arch tuberculosis in one patient. Neurological recovery began between 10 and 21 days postoperatively. The mean length of follow-up was 42.36 months (range 8-144 months). Fourteen patients were found to be functionally and neurologically normal at follow-up examinations (63%). Eighty-two percent recovered sufficiently to walk unaided. Two patients were left paralysed and unable to walk. Two patients were able to get about on crutches. The onset of objective improvement soon after surgical decompression suggests a causal effect. It was concluded that early neural decompression and spinal stabilisation provided the maximum potential for neurological recovery.