Pott,s Disease: One of the Most Common Manifestation of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in the Southeast of Iran

Abstract

In order to determine the prevalence of spinal tuberculosis in Zahedan region this study was conducted. in this cross-sectional and retrospective study in a time period of ten years from Feb 1996 to Dec 2005 in Zahedan ( Southeast of Iran) all patients who were treated for spinal TB in the medical and orthopaedic wards in Zahedan University Hospitals and Zahedan Tuberculosis Center were evaluated. After recording the demographic data the clinical notes radiographs and hematology results of the patients were evaluated and then analysed. One hundred eighteen patients were seen 82 males and 36 females age range 4-73 years (mean 29.2 ± 23.7 years). One hundred seven years patients had complete clinical data in their case notes. Twenty eight patients had complete clinical data in their case notes. Twenty eight patients had paralegia and eighty six had concomitant pulmonary TB more old tuberculosis. The thoratic spine was the commonest site of involvement. Two thirds (78 patients) had positive mantoux test. All patients had chemotherapy and only six cases was lost to follow up within three months because they had been expired. Only four patients had surgical intervention. Upon our results spinal TB is still a common sense disease in Southeast of Iran with significant complication. There is need for patient health education contact tracing provision of free hospitalization and a general improvement in the economy to reduce the prevalence of spinal TB in the country. (authors)