Peripheral osteoarticular tuberculosis in children: 106 case-reports.
BACKGROUND
We retrospectively reviewed 106 pediatric cases of peripheral osteoarticular tuberculosis (OAT) seen over a 21-year period in Morocco. Patients with vertebral tuberculosis were excluded from the study.


RESULTS
The 55 boys and 51 girls had a mean age of 8 years. The hip and knee together contributed 63% of the osteoarticular foci. Organ involvement was documented in 32 cases. Mean time from symptom onset to evaluation was 10 months. This resulted in diagnostic delay, which contributed to the 22% rate of residual abnormalities consisting of joint ankylosis and leg length inequality.


CONCLUSIONS
OAT is a source of functional disability that should be recognized and treated early, particularly in children, given that appropriate management can lead to a full recovery (14 patients in our series).
Teklali
Youssef
Y
Pediatric Orthopedics Department, Children's Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. youtek@hotmail.com
El Alami
Zouheir Fellous
ZF
El Madhi
Tarik
T
Gourinda
Hassan
H
Miri
Abdelhamid
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
D000995:Antitubercular Agents