title: Multifocal skeletal tuberculosis in children: a retrospective study of 18 cases.
abstract: Multifocal skeletal tuberculosis is an uncommonly reported entity, Unanimity on terminology is lacking in the literature. The article presents a series of 18 such patients encountered in our institution. All the patients were below 15 y of age. Male to female ratio was 13:5. Most of the cases presented with swellings, discharging sinuses and/or ulcers. Appendicular involvement was seen in 17 of these cases. All the cases were diagnosed histopathologically as tuberculosis. All the cases were treated with multi-drug anti-tubercular therapy with additional procedures such as incision and drainage or sinus tract curettage performed in 9 of the patients. All the lesions healed. Their clinical behaviour, result and outcome are analysed with available international literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University College of Medical Sciences, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ish Kumar
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Dhammi
authors.forename: Anil Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Sudhir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents