Tuberculosis of the wrist

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious agent that can affect several organ systems and can cause various symptoms. The most common presentation is pulmonary TB. The incidence of extrapulmonary TB has become much more common worldwide due to the more frequent use of long-term immunosuppressive treatment for various indications. Examples include but are not limited to human immunodeficiency virus infection, organ transplantation, and rheumatic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, and dermatologic inflammatory conditions. Osteoarticular involvement is the third most common presentation of TB after the lung and lymph nodes, accounting for approximately 10-20% of all cases of extrapulmonary disease. The joint involvement is generally monoarticular and progresses insidiously. Skeletal TB mostly involves weight-bearing joints such as the hip and knee. Wrist involvement is rarely encountered and accounts for only 1% of skeletal TB. Herein, we describe a rare involvement of musculoskeletal TB in a renal transplant recipient.

Keywords

• tuberculosis
• tuberculosis of wrist
• arthritis
• septic arthritis