title: Musculoskeletal tuberculosis in Bradford - a 6-year review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberculosis (TB) remains the most common cause of death from infectious disease world-wide. In the UK, the incidence of TB has risen by 25% over the last 10 years; extrapulmonary diagnosis remains challenging and can be delayed. This study evaluates the epidemiology of musculoskeletal tuberculosis in a large multi-ethnic UK city.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of prospectively recorded data of incidence, anatomical site, ethnic distribution, treatment and drug resistance of musculoskeletal tuberculosis over a 6-year period was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From January 1999 to December 2004, there were 729 TB notifications; 61 cases (8.4%) had musculoskeletal involvement. Of the patients, 74% were immigrants from the Indian subcontinent; nearly 50% had spinal involvement; 24 patients underwent surgical intervention; 29 were subjected to either diagnostic or therapeutic radiological intervention; and resolution of symptoms was achieved in 59 out of 61 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the high proportion of musculoskeletal TB in immigrant patients in an area with a relatively large at-risk population, but will also serve to alert physicians, in areas with smaller at-risk populations, of the possibility of musculoskeletal TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Bradford UK. charlietalbot@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Bismil
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saralaya
authors.forename: D A G
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Frizzel
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents