Osteoarticular tuberculosis in a general hospital during the last decade.
OBJECTIVE
To study clinical features of skeletal tuberculosis diagnosed in our laboratory over the last 10 years.


METHODS
We carried out a retrospective observational study of 26 patients with osteoarticular tuberculosis recording clinical and microbiological data.


RESULTS
Pain was the main clinical presentation. The median time from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis was 8 months. Synovial fluid was the most common sample obtained. Bone disease and previous or concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis were the most important predisposing factors. The tuberculin test reaction was positive in 83.3% of the patients. The outcome was favorable in 69% of the patients. Weight-bearing joints were the most commonly involved sites.


CONCLUSIONS
A high degree of suspicion is still needed to avoid a delayed diagnosis that might complicate the outcome.
Ruiz
G
G
Servicio de Microbiología y Parasitología Clínica, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Paseo de la Castellana no. 261, 28046 Madrid, Spain.
García Rodríguez
J
J
Güerri
M L
ML
González
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology