Tuberculosis with multiarticular involvement diagnosed by positive acid-fast staining in synovial fluid: An unusual case report

Abstract

Osteoarticular tuberculosis (TB) is an uncommon form of extrapulmonary TB, comprising approximately 5% of all TB and 10%–15% of extrapulmonary TB cases. Multifocal skeletal TB is rare and accounts for 10% of all osteoarticular TB cases. Sometimes, the diagnosis is difficult. The potential delay in the clinical diagnosis may be critical for patients since it can cause the spread of the infection from the bone to the adjacent joints and surrounding tissues. We present a rare case of military TB with multiarticular involvement in a patient with chronic tophaceous gout. The initial diagnosis was confirmed throughout the positive analysis for Ziehl–Nielsen acid-fast staining in synovial fluid of two different joints, which is unusual. The patient was treated with antituberculosis drugs and presented good recovery signs.

Keywords

• gout
• mycobacterium tuberculosis
• tuberculosis osteoarticular