title: Tuberculosis of the lower cervical spine (C3-C7) in adults: diagnostic and surgical aspects.
abstract: From 1976 to 1992, 160 cases of tuberculosis of the spine were treated at Jeanne Ebori Medical Center (Gabon); among whom 10 were localized to the lower cervical spine (C3-C7). From those 10 cases, 5 concerned children and had a medical treatment, whereas the remaining 5 cases concerned adults and underwent surgery (anterior approach), following an initial three-weeks course of antituberculous therapy. Prominent features of the disease in the 5 adult cases included neck pain and stiffness, neurological deficits and osteolytic erosions with myelographic block. The mean length of follow-up was 32 months (range: 8 to 96 months). All five patients improved their cord function and had a satisfactory bony consolidation. Socio-economic difficulties explain the necessity of reducing the treatment length by favoring surgical intervention in relatively advanced lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Omar Bongo University, Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Loembe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009192:Myelography; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents