A childhood case of spinal tuberculosis misdiagnosed as muscular dystrophy

Abstract

Tuberculosis is primarily a pulmonary disease, but extra-pulmonary manifestations are not uncommon, especially in children and adolescents. Ten percent of extra pulmonary tuberculosis localizes to the bones and joints, and 56% of such cases affect the spine. We treated a childhood case of spinal tuberculosis misdiagnosed as muscular dystrophy in a patient without specific constitutional symptoms. We report this case because the patient had an unusual presentation of spinal tuberculosis.

Keywords

• Spinal tuberculosis
• Neurologic manifestations
• Muscular dystrophy
• Children