Spinal Tuberculosis

Spinal tuberculosis is the most common form of bone and joint TB (a type of non-pulmonary TB). It accounts for 50% of its cases. Spinal TB is most often seen in young children from 1 to 10 years of age, and most common in the first thirty years of life.

Symptoms: Spinal TB symptoms may include: loss of appetite, night sweats, malaise, (a vague feeling of physical discomfort) and evening rise in temperature. Other effects such as stiff painful movement of the spine and localized deformity and spasm of muscles are more common to more progressive stages of the infection.

Diagnosis: Spinal X-rays can show physical effects of the TB infection such as vertebral abscesses, (swelling and inflammation) bulging and lesions, and kyphotic deformity (abnormal curvature) of the spine. Needle biopsy (removal of tissue) and aspiration (removal of fluid by suction) can be used to treat spinal lesions (injured areas).

Management: There are a number of drugs which may be used to treat spinal TB. After drug treatment, more drastic surgical treatments such as debridement (cutting away dead tissue) and stabilization of the spine may be necessary. Also mechanical decomposition of the cord for neural complications may finally be necessary for severe progressive cases of spinal TB.

High Risk Groups: Spinal TB is more a more common complication in younger children than in the elderly. Spinal TB is more common in teenagers and slightly more common in males than females.

Other Information: The sooner Spinal TB is diagnosed, the more likely the drug treatments will work effectively. Surgery is only used as a secondary measure and recovery is more likely the earlier Spinal TB is diagnosed.