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MULTIFOCAL TUBERCULOSIS OF THE SPINE

  • Erol YALNIZ
  • Hakan GÜRBÜZ
  • Gülbin DÖKMECİ
  • Selçuk BİLGİ

J Turk Spinal Surg 1997;8(3):104-108

A 17-year-old boy was admiîted to our clinic with back pain. He had no signs and symptoms of spinal cord or root compression. Plain radiographs of vertebral column demostrated multiple isolated involvement at T1, T4, T8 and T11-T12-L1 levels. The angle between the T10 and L1 in sagittal plane was measured as 37 degrees preoperatively. Chest roentgenogram is compietely normal. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed the destructive lesions in both the vertebral body and right pedlcle, lamina and transverse process of L1. Histologic examination of biopsy specimens which ere taken from L1 shoed typical appearance of tuberculosis of bone. The patient is successfully treated by anterior radical debridement and grafting with fibula and rib between the T10 and L1 combined with antituberculous drugs for 12 months period. The kyphosis angle was 24 degrees postoperatively. After a year, grafts were incorporated and there was no further kyphosis at thoracolumbar junction.

Keywords: Multifocal, spine, tuberculosis