title: Tuberculosis of spine: current views in diagnosis and management.
abstract: Tuberculosis is the chronic consumptive disease and currently the world's leading cause of death. Tuberculous spondylitis is a less common yet the most dangerous form of skeletal tuberculosis. The recent re-emergence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) hints at a possible resurgence of tuberculosis in the coming years. This article discusses the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculous spondylitis, and updates material that the author has previously published on the subject. Treatment should be individualized according to different indications which is essential to recovery. A treatment model is suggested on the basis of the author's vast personal experiences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Jeju, Korea. ; Moon-Kim's Institute of Orthopedic Research, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Sang
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Moon
keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Tuberculous spondylitis