Tuberculosis of the greater trochanter. Report of four cases.
OBJECTIVE
To present four cases of tuberculosis of the greater trochanter.


METHODS
The four cases (3 females and 1 male), aged 45-70 years, presented with mechanical pain in the trochanteric area associated with progressive swelling in the 3 female patients in whom mobility was also restricted. X-ray revealed a mass in 2 females; CT scan and MRI exhibited an abscess in the 3 females. Histological and bacteriological examinations showed Mycobacterium bovis in the 3 females and M. tuberculosis in the male. In the females, tritherapy and surgery were performed, while in the male quadritherapy and surgery. All the patients recovered and were followed up for 4-9 years.


CONCLUSIONS
These cases show that both chemotherapy and surgery must be synergic if tuberculosis is diagnosed and an abscess is confirmed by imaging.
Mouhsine
E
E
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. Elyazid.Mouhsine@hospvd.ch
Pelet
S
S
Wettstein
M
M
Blanc
C-H
CH
Garofalo
R
R
Theumann
N
N
Borens
O
O
D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*