Frequency of Carries Spine in Patients of Tuberculosis with Different Age Groups Gender and Spinal Levels in Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of carries spine in patients of Tuberculosis with different  levels of spine, different age groups and gender in Pakistan.

Study Design: Observational study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Orthopaedic department at Mohi-ud-in teaching hospital of Mohi-ud-in Islamic Medical College Mirpur AK for three years from Jan. 2015 to Dec. 2017.

Materials and Methods: In this study we included 1000 cases of Tuberculosis out of which 30 consecutive patients of spinal tuberculosis with age groups ranging from 02 to 70 years of either sex, involvement of different spinal level with apparent vertebral lesion on radiograph, presence of mycobacterium tuberculosis on direct examination or on culture of material taken by biopsy, characteristics histology of tuberculosis ad positive response to ATT drugs even without bacteriological proof. The detailed history investigations included blood C/P, ESR, Monteux, Test, X-Ray chest PA view, X-Ray spine, CT scan spine, Bone scan, MRI of spine.

Results: The overall  incidence of spinal TB was 3%  and the highest incidence of carries spine was found in the age group of 11-20 years and was 36.63%.The sex ratio of male to female was 1:1.3. The spinal level with the highest incidence of tuberculosis involvement of spinal level was lower thoracic regionT9---12

Conclusion: The anti tuberculosis chemotherapy had to be extended upto one and a half year in three patients because their ESR values were not decreased to the normal and their radiological healing was not satisfactory.