Incidence of tuberculosis of bones and joints in Sumy region

Abstract

Bones and joints, among other extrapulmonary organs, are most often affected by tuberculosis. The clinical picture is often «hidden», the diagnosis of the disease is delayed for a long time with all the negative consequences.
 Objective — to study the trend in the incidence of tuberculosis of the bone and joint localization of the Sumy region residents in recent years and draw the attention of general practitioners to the urgent problem of today.
 Materials and methods. We analyzed the incidence of tuberculosis of bones and joints of the Sumy region residents during 2007—2019. During this period, 200 patients with osteoarticular tuberculosis registered in the region.
 Results and discussion. Over the past 13 years, the number of patients with tuberculosis of the bone and joint localization averaged 2.5 % of all newly detected processes. Tuberculosis of the spine (spondylitis) occurred in 119 (59.5 %) patients, specific inflammation of the hip joint in 49 (24.5 %), knee — in 11 (5.5 %), ankle — in 6 (3.0 %). Tuberculosis of other bones and joints was found in 15 (7.5 %) patients, 60 (50.4 %) patients with tuberculous spondylitis were recognized as disabled for the first time. Of these, the group I was found in 19 (31.7 %), II — in 25 (41.7 %), III — in 16 (26.6 %).
 Conclusions. In recent years, there has been an increase in the proportion of patients with CST among all newly diagnosed patients in the Sumy region. The spine is most often affected by tuberculosis of the bones and joints (59.5 %). At the same time, a significant lesion (3—4 vertebrae) was recorded in 23 (19.3 %) persons, five and more vertebrae — in 19 (16.0 %) patients. Patients with tuberculous spondylitis in 50.4 % of cases permanently lost their ability to work. Most patients of groups I and II of disability and a significant number of patients of group III require surgical intervention; without its implementation, there are irreversible changes in the vertebrae, which lead to increased medical, biological, and social disability.