title: Is spinal tuberculosis contagious?
abstract: While pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections are recognized for their public health implications, less is known about the infectiousness of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, specifically, spinal tuberculosis or Pott's disease. We present a case of spinal tuberculosis with concomitant active pulmonary tuberculosis in the absence of chest radiographic abnormalities or symptoms, and review the literature regarding infectiousness of concomitant spinal and pulmonary tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. pschirme@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schirmer
authors.forename: Cybèle A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Renault
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holodniy
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D011859:Radiography; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media