Pott's disease in a patient with chronic back pain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22529/me.2025.10(2)08Keywords:
Spinal tuberculosis, Pott’s disease, lung nodule, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, back painAbstract
We present a case of a 43-year-old woman from Córdoba with a history of Chagas disease, who sought medical attention for thoracic and dorsal pain persisting for over 30 days, unresponsive to conventional analgesic treatment. Imaging studies, including CT and MRI, revealed a lytic lesion in T6-T7 vertebrae, with a soft tissue component suggesting spondylodiscitis.
Microbiological analysis of the guided puncture showed Staphylococcus aureus on the osteoarticular FilmArray panel, while the GeneXpert MTB/RMP test confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
This case is particularly noteworthy as dorsal pain was the only symptom of spinal tuberculosis in a patient without obvious risk factors. Additionally, the initial finding of S. aureus directed treatment toward pyogenic spondylodiscitis, delaying the definitive diagnosis of tuberculous spondylitis (Pott's disease).
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