Tuberculous dactylitis in childhood: A prognosis

Abstract

Summary 1. Twenty-one patients with tuberculous dactylitis complicating primarytuberculous infections in childhood were followed until death or to date (an average of eleven years). 2. Fourteen, or two-thirds of the patients, were 2 years of age or less when this complication occurred. Sixteen were negro and five were white. Eleven had dactylitis as a minor complication of a severe generalized tuberculosis, ten had dactylitis as part of a relatively mild infection. 3. The dactylitis was the presenting complaint in eleven patients. 4. The bones of the hands were involved eight times more frequently than those of the feet. The proximal phalanx of the index and middle fingers were the bones most frequently involved. 5. Provided the patient survived the other manifestations of tuberculosis, the prognosis for complete healing of the bone with return to normal contour in most instances was excellent. Healing occurred in from one to three years.