Die Sitzbeintuberkulose

Abstract

Tuberculous foci in the ischium are rare. In the authors' clinic, a total of 11 patients only (6 female, 5 male) with specific infections of the ischium were surgically treated (in combination with tuberculoustatics). The youngest patient was 23 years old, whereas the oldest was 59 years of age (average age 33.2 years). In 6 cases, the left os ischium was affected, whereas in 5 patients it was the right os ischium. In all cases, however, the ischium was affected in toto. It was interesting to know that the focus did not spread into the adjacent hip joint or into the lower branch of the pubic bone. Furthermore, the authors never saw penetration of the process into the foramen obturatum. In 9 patients, the x-ray film showed discreet to marked calcifications of the soft tissues in the vicinity of the ischium. Although all patients treated represented late cases (6 fistulas/5 abscesses), the BSR values were within the normal range in 6 patients. Of the 9 patients who had previously suffered from tuberculosis of a different localisation, 3 patients were treated for ischialgia, whereas 8 patients were treated for so-called rheumatic complaints, on the average 2 years before the diagnosis had been clarified via bacteriological and histological examinations of the focal material. No relapses were seen in those patients who were examined after an average period of 5.6 years following their discharge from inpatient treatment. 6 patients had resumed their previous job, while 2 had been looking for less strenuous work; 1 patient had meanwhile been pensioned off because of other diseases.