Tuberculous arthritis in a hemodialysis patient.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a relatively common infectious complication in the dialysis population. Most cases are extrapulmonary and pose a diagnostic dilemma for the clinician. Tuberculous arthritis is a rare form of extrapulmonary TB occurring in approximately 1% of cases in nonuremics. Only 1 case in a dialysis patient (not proven by positive synovial fluid culture) has been reported. We report here a culture-proven case of tuberculous arthritis in a hemodialysis patient which masqueraded as an acute septic arthritis. TB should be considered early as an etiologic agent along with synovial biopsy when the exact cause of a monoarthritis has not been discovered, thus avoiding delay in initiation of appropriate therapy.
Department of Medicine, Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, N.Y.
L P
LP
Haskell
A M
AM
Tannenberg
D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000032:analysis / Q000166:cytology; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology