Clinical Manifestation of Tuberculous and Pyogenic Spine Infection
BOONSIN BURANAPANITKIT, M.D.*, APIRADEE LIM, B.Sc.**, THEERASAN KIRIRATNIKOM, M.D.*
Affiliation : * Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, ** Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 9011 O, Thailand.
The authors compared clinical and baseline parameters between patients with tuberculous spondylitis (67 patients) and pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (34 patients). The average age was 50.8 (rarige, 1 to 82 years). Males were slightly more predominant in both pyogenic and tubercu- lous infections. Seventy per cent of patients with pyogenic infection had had symptoms for less than 3 months, while this was the case for only 44 per cent of the tuberculous patients. Lumbar spine was the most common site of involvement. Associated infections were more commonly found in tuberculous infection. Thirty per cent of tuberculous spondylitic patients were initially misdiag- nosed, while 44 per cent of patients with pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis had delayed diagnosis. Only 20 per cent and 30 per cent of tuberculous and pyogenic patients had fever, respectively. Neurological deficit occurred more frequently in pyogenic than in tuberculous infection (79% vs 59%), while bowel bladder involvement was more commonly found in tuberculous spondylitis. Kyphosis was significantly more common in tuberculosis than in pyogenic infection (50.8% vs 26.5%, respectively). Sinus tract formation, subcutaneous abscess formation and positive for SLRT (straight-leg-raising test) were found in only a small percentage of the patients. Duration of symp- toms, site, associated infection, kyphosis and neurological deficit could be used for differentia- tion of spinal infection.
Keywords : Clinical Manifestation, Tuberculous and Pyogenic, Spinal Infection
