title: Tuberculous sacroiliitis: a study of the diagnosis, therapy and medium-term results of 15 cases.
abstract: This report reviews the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of 15 Chinese patients with tuberculous sacroiliitis (TBS) from 1997 to 2007. Buttock pain and lower back pain were the main complaints. All patients received antituberculosis chemotherapy treatment for at least 18 months; 10 also underwent surgery, with seven undergoing modified Smith-Petersen arthrodesis (evaluated using a visual analogue scale [VAS] for pain and the Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]). No simplex tuberculous synovitis existed at diagnosis. Bone-marrow oedema, cold abscess and soft-tissue oedema responded to antituberculosis treatment. Thirteen patients (86.7%) had satisfactory outcomes. There were also significant improvements in VAS and ODI scores post-operatively. In the chemotherapy plus surgery group, eight patients had solid bony fusions at 24 months post-operatively, while the five on chemotherapy alone presented with fibrous ankylosis at 24 months. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for TBS and modified arthrodesis is a feasible and effective method for treating severe joint destruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: X-H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: X-Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: D-H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Y-G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J-J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: T-S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000844:Ankylosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000379:methods*; D004487:Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D058566:Sacroiliitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014394:Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents