title: Paraplegia is not a diagnosis: Spinal tuberculosis deserves a place on the clinical radar screen: Awakening call to clinicians.
abstract: Disseminated Tuberculosis(TB) occurs through lymphohaematogenous dissemination of M. tuberculosis. Although it is more common in young children and those who are having risk factors like having acquired or innate immunodeficiency, weak immune system being on immunosuppressive treatments; it can also occur in immunocompetent indviduals with heavy load of infection. Inhalation being the commonest mode of entry of the pathogen results in pulmonary tuberculosis being the commonest seat of primary infection,other systems commonly involved as extra-pulmonary sites are lymphnodes, bone, brain, peritonium and genitalia depending on the amount of relative blood supply and lymphatics. We present here case of a young female who was immunocompetent, having fever, progressive lower limb weakness and loss of bowel and bladder control, becoming bed bound, and admitted in our hospital for rehabilitation with a diagnosis of paraplegia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine & Infectious Diseases, SBAH-CITY Rehabilitation Hospital & Medical Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: dr_liaqatali@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Liaqat Ali
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery Rehabilitation Hospital & Medical Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Marwan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamzami
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery Rehabilitation Hospital & Medical Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Syed Kashif
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Fakharudin
keywords: Activities of daily life (ADLS); Magnetic radio imaging (MRI) tuberculoma; Paraplegia; Pott’s disease; Tuberculosis (TB)