Spinal Tuberculosis Research Articles

Comprehensive Spinal Tuberculosis Score: A Clinical Guide for the Management of Thoracolumbar Spinal Tuberculosis.

A newly proposed scoring tool was designed to assist in the clinical management of adult thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis (TB). To formulate a comprehensive yet simple scoring tool to guide decision-making in the management of adult thoracolumbar spinal TB. Spine surgeons have differing consensus in defining the threshold grade for clinico-radiological parameters when deciding between operative or conservative treatment for adult thoracolumbar spinal TB. Currently, the void in decision-making from the lack of well-defined guidelines is compensated by the surgeon's experience in treating these patients. To the best of our knowledge, no scoring system holistically integrates multiple facets of spinal TB to guide clinical decision-making. The RAND/University of California, Los Angeles appropriateness method was employed among an expert panel of 10 spine surgeons from four apex tertiary care centers. Vital characteristics that independently influenced treatment decisions in spinal TB were identified, and a scoring tool was formulated. Points were assigned for each component based on their severity. The cutoff scores to guide clinical management were determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve based on the retrospective records of 151 patients treated operatively or non-operatively with improved functional outcomes at the 1-year follow-up. The components of the comprehensive spinal TB score (CSTS) are pain, kyphosis angle, vertebral destruction, and neurological status. A score classification of <5.5, 5.5-6.5, and >6.5 was established to guide the patient toward conservative, conservative/ operative, and operative management, respectively. The CSTS was designed to reflect the essential indicators of mechanical stability, neurological stability, and disease process stabilization in spinal TB. The scoring tool is devised to be practical and serve as a common language in the spine community to facilitate discussions and decision-making in thoracolumbar spinal TB. The validity, reliability, and reproducibility of this tool must be assessed through multicenter long-term studies.

Neuroimaging of tuberculosis- modalities, imaging protocols and radiomics: a review

Background and Objective:&#x0D; A large number of review and research articles exists in literature which describe the radiological appearance of various manifestations of nervous system tuberculosis, however there is paucity of text which describes the application of each and every imaging modality in the workup of the entire spectrum of this pathology. The intent of this article is to review the existing literature on the role of different radiological modalities in the stepwise work up of CNS TB. The article focuses on the role of plain radiograph, fluoroscopy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging along with its advanced sequences and nuclear medicine in imaging of the many faces of tuberculosis in CNS. The article also aims to review the existing literature on the role of MR based textural analysis (Radiomics) as a problem-solving tool in various nervous system pathologies.&#x0D; Methods:&#x0D; We searched PubMed central databases for articles published in English from January 1 2000 to February 28 2021 along with references from the relevant articles. The search terms included “imaging in central nervous system tuberculosis” “Radiomics in tuberculosis “, “Radomics in central nervous system ”. In total 95 articles including case reports, case series, original articles and review articles were included in this review.&#x0D; Results:&#x0D; Conventional imaging modalities including radiograph and fluoroscopy are becoming extinct in work up of tuberculosis in the nervous system itself, however a plain radiograph still holds a key position in screening the chest for presence of subclinical respiratory tract infection in patients presenting with brain tuberculosis. In addition, it is a sensitive tool as baseline investigation in workup of spinal tuberculosis (T.B). Fluoroscopy is a useful tool in image guided procedures for collection of samples for histopathology and CSF analysis.&#x0D; Cross sectional imaging modalities including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have revolutionized imaging of central nervous system pathologies in particular tuberculosis. Computed tomography acts as a screening tool to identify the presence of intracranial tuberculosis and recognize its complications. In addition it is an important tool to determine the extent of spinal T.B. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) along with its advanced sequences including spectroscopy, Magnetization transfer T1 sequence (MT T1), perfusion imaging, and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) is an ideal imaging method to work up CNS TB. It can identify numerous manifestations of tuberculosis in the brain, work up its associated complication, and explain the extent of neurological symptoms. Moreover, it has the capability to differentiate TB from other nervous system infections. Furthermore, it can differentiate neoplastic and inflammatory brain disorders from CNS TB. Radiomics, particularly the textural features based on MR imaging is the future of neuroimaging. Its role is getting established in the work up of several intracranial pathologies including brain tumors and neurodegenerative disorders. Certainly, it has significant potential in the imaging work up of CNS tuberculosis, which is underexplored and therefore requires the central attention of upcoming researchers focusing on this topic.&#x0D; Conclusion:&#x0D; Cross sectional imaging is the mainstay of imaging workup. Nuclear imaging is becoming an essential adjuvant to determine the burden of the disease. Role of radiomics is evolving in intracranial pathologies and certainly needs the central attention of future researches to establish its role in CNS TB imaging.

A New Method Used to Enhance the SPAIR Image of the Spine MRI.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a handy diagnostic tool for orthopedic disorders, particularly spinal and joint diseases. The lumbar intervertebral disc is visible in the T1 and T2 weight sequences of the spine MRI, which aids in diagnosing lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spine tuberculosis, lumbar spine tumors, and other conditions. The lumbar intervertebral disc cannot be seen accurately in the Spectral Attenuated Inversion Recovery (SPAIR) due to weaknesses in the fat and frequency offset parameters, which is not conducive to developing the intelligence diagnosis model of medical image. In order to solve this problem, we propose a composite framework, which is first to use the contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) method to enhance the SPAIR image contrast of the spine MRI and then use the non-local means method to remove the noise of the image to ensure that the image contrast is uniform without losing details. We employ the Information Entropy (IE), Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and feature similarity index measure (FSIM) to quantify image quality after enhancement by the composite framework. The outcomes of the experiments' output images and quantitative data indicate that our composite framework is better than others.

Role of magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis in a TB endemic area

Background: Infectious spondylitis is an infection by a specific organism of one or more components of spine, namely the vertebra, intervertebral discs, paraspinal soft tissues, and epidural space. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine is gold standard in imaging to assess anatomical abnormalities of the spine and surrounding structures. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Radiology Narayan Medical College and Hospital Sasaram, Bihar (India), where tuberculosis is endemic from July 2022 to September 2023. It included 40 patients, purposively sampled, adhering to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI in discriminating tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis were compared against histopathological diagnosis and differences in MRI findings between these conditions were obtained. Results: In this study, 93% patients with tuberculous spondylitis had an enhanced signal with well-defined margins. Meanwhile, pyogenic spondylitis provided an ill-defined margins in 72.7% patients. Most of the patients 82.7% with tuberculous spondylitis showed thin and smooth wall paravertebral abscesses, while pyogenic spondylitis showed an irregular and thick wall paravertebral abscesses in 45% patients. A total of 72.4% patients with tuberculous spondylitis indicated involvement of ≥3 vertebral bodies. 100% patients with pyogenic spondylitis showed an abnormal contrast enhancement of the intervertebral discs. It was identified that tuberculous spondylitis had sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values of 100%, 84.6%, and 95.2% respectively. For pyogenic spondylitis, the corresponding values were 84.6%, 96.6%, and 93%. Conclusions: MRI was accurate for differentiation of tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis. A well-defined paraspinal abnormal signal, a thin and smooth abscess wall, subligamentous spread to three or more vertebral levels, and less likely involvement of intervertebral discs were more suggestive of tuberculous spondylitis than pyogenic spondylitis.

One-stage posterior transpedicular debridement, hemi-interbody and unilateral-posterior bone grafting, and instrumentation for the treatment of thoracic spinal tuberculosis: a retrospective study.

To investigate the clinical efficacy and feasibility of the surgical treatment of thoracic spinal tuberculosis using one-stage posterior instrumentation, transpedicular debridement, and hemi-interbody and unilateral posterior bone grafting. Fifty-six patients with thoracic spinal tuberculosis who underwent surgery performed by a single surgeon between September 2009 and August 2020 were enrolled in this study. Based on data from the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Cobb angle before surgery, after surgery, and at the most recent follow-up, clinical effectiveness was assessed using statistical analysis. The variables investigated included operating time, blood loss, complications, neurological function, and hemi-interbody fusion. None of the patients experienced significant surgery-associated complications. At the last follow-up, 23 of the 25 patients (92%) with neurological impairment showed improvement. The thoracic kyphotic angle was significantly decreased from 24.1 ± 9.9° to 13.4 ± 8.6° after operation (P < 0.05), and the angle was 14.44 ± 8.8° at final follow-up (P < 0.05). The Visual Analog Scale significantly decreased from 6.7 ± 1.4 preoperatively to 2.3 ± 0.8 postoperatively (P < 0.05) and finally to 1.2 ± 0.7 at the last follow-up (P < 0.05). Bone fusion was confirmed in 56 patients at 3-6 months postoperatively. One-stage posterior transpedicular debridement, hemi-interbody and unilateral posterior bone grafting, and instrumentation are effective and feasible treatment methods for thoracic spinal tuberculosis.

Vertebral destruction in tuberculous spondylitis correlates with Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR-4) levels: a cross-sectional study

Background: Tuberculous (TB) spondylitis is a hazardous infectious disease causing significant spinal deformity. Increased toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) activity promotes more extensive infections in patients with TB spondylitis, so it has the potential to be used as a biomarker to predict the severity. This study aims to determine the relationship between TLR-4 levels and the degree of vertebral destruction in TB spondylitis patients. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to October 2023. A total of 27 TB spondylitis samples were then measured for TLR-4 serum levels. Vertebral destruction is assessed based on the Spine At Risk Signs (SARS) criteria on X-ray and MRI examinations. Moreover, the degree of sensory and motor impairment was also assessed in this study. The Spearman correlation test assessed the correlation between TLR-4 levels and vertebral destruction. Results: Most of the samples in this study were less than 30 years old (10 people, 37%), female (14 people, 51.9%), had spinal destruction at 1 level (11 people, 40.7%), had paraplegia (8 people, 29.6%), and had hypoesthesia (11 people, 40.7%). TLR-4 levels had a mean value of 8254.1±1076.1 ng/ml. TLR-4 levels were positively correlated with the degree of vertebral destruction (r=0.599, P=0.001), motor disorders (r=0.632.x, P=0.000), and sensory disorders (r=0.574, P=0.002). Conclusion: TLR-4 levels are associated with the severity of vertebral destruction in TB spondylitis, so it has the potential to be used as a prognostic biomarker.

Retrospective Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Spinal Tuberculosis Focus Removal versus Posterior Pedicle Lesion Removal, Bone Grafting, and Internal Fixation Combined with Drug Chemotherapy for Thoracolumbar Tuberculosis.

This study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of endoscopic spinal tuberculosis focus removal, posterior pedicle lesion removal, bone grafting, and internal fixation combined with drug chemotherapy in treating thoracolumbar tuberculosis. It also seeks to summarize strategies for preventing complications and provide a reference for clinical treatment. We retrospectively analyzed 105 patients with spinal tuberculosis treated in our hospital from January 2018 to December 2022. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (n=38), who underwent endoscopic spinal tuberculosis focus removal, and Group B (n=67), who underwent posterior pedicle lesion removal, bone grafting, and internal fixation. All patients received preoperative quadruple anti-tuberculosis drug chemotherapy (Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol) for 2-4 weeks. We recorded and compared parameters such as operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, recovery time, hospital stay, blood transfusion, and complications. We also compared pre- and postoperative lumbar VAS, ODI, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, Procalcitonin, D-Dimer, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio, hemoglobin, total protein, and Cobb angle to evaluate kyphotic deformity and correction. Preoperative data including age, sex, body mass index, segment involvement, past medical history, smoking history, preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, Procalcitonin, D-Dimer, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio, hemoglobin, total protein, lumbar VAS score, lumbar ODI score, and spinal Cobb's angle showed no significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). Main postoperative indicators revealed that Group A had significantly lower lumbar VAS scores, higher hemoglobin and total protein levels, and a lower recurrence rate than Group B at the last follow-up (P<0.05). Secondary postoperative indicators showed that Group A required significantly less blood transfusion, had shorter operative time, less intraoperative blood loss, shorter postoperative hospitalization time, and lower Cobb Angle than Group B (P<0.05). Endoscopic spinal tuberculosis focus removal can achieve comparable safety to posterior pedicle lesion removal, bone grafting, and internal fixation, with shorter operation time, less intraoperative bleeding, lower postoperative recurrence rate, and less postoperative drainage. This method can effectively improve blood sedimentation, lumbar function, restore Cobb angle, and reduce pain, making it worthy of promotion and application.

Single Sequence Whole-Spine Screening Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Role in Multiple-Level Spinal Tuberculosis.

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) is the most common form of skeletal tuberculosis. Paradiscal continuous vertebral involvement at a single level is the most prevalent pattern among all forms of spinal TB. There is a wide range of reported incidences of multiple-level non-contiguous spinal TB in the literature. We would like to discuss on the utility of single whole spine screening T2-weighted (T2W) mid-sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) film in diagnosing multiple-level spinal TB and therapeutic benefits it can provide. We have done a retrospective review of the collected data of patients in Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital from August 2017 to October 2021 to find the incidence of multiple-level spinal TB and possible factors attributed to this specific disease pattern. All the patients who had been diagnosed of spinal TB either microbiologically or histopathologically or by a good clinical response to anti-tubercular treatment (ATT) and had a whole spine screening MRI film, were included. Patients of spinal TB who did not have a whole spine screening MRI were excluded from the study. Multiple-level spinal TB was diagnosed when lesions were identified in vertebral levels other than a typical paradiscal lesion, and additional lesions were separated from the primary disease by at least one normal spinal segment. Among the patients, 242 met the inclusion criteria, and 76 showed multiple-level non-contiguous spinal TB on MRI, incidence being 31.4%. The rest of the 166 patients showed typical single-segment contiguous lesions. By doing multivariate analysis to determine the independent risk factors for multiple-level spinal TB, extremes of age (<20 years and >50 years) have been found to be a significant factor with p value of 0.0001. Though drug resistance was not found to be a significant risk factor (p value 0.051), the proportion of patients having multiple-level TB was far more in the drug-resistant group (13/76). Single sequence whole spine screening MRI film is an effective, economical, and time-saving tool to detect multiple-level spinal TB. Along with its diagnostic accuracy, it also provides therapeutic benefits like access to a more approachable site for biopsy.

Large-Scale assessment of ChatGPT's performance in benign and malignant bone tumors imaging report diagnosis and its potential for clinical applications

ObjectiveThis study was designed to delve into the complexities involved in diagnosing of benign and malignant bone tumors and to assess the potential of AI technologies like ChatGPT in improving diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. The study also explores the few-shot learning as a method to optimize ChatGPT's performance in specialized medical domains such as benign and malignant bone tumors diagnosis. MethodsA total of 1366 benign and malignant bone tumors-related imaging reports were collected and diagnosed by 25 experienced physicians. The gold standard of diagnosis was established by combining clinical, imaging and pathological principles.These reports were then input into the ChatGPT model which underwent a few-shot learning method to generate diagnostic results. The diagnostic results of the physicians and the AI model were compared to evaluate the performance of ChatGPT. An experiment was conducted to assess the influence of different radiologist's reporting styles on the model's diagnostic performance. Furthermore, in-depth analysis of misdiagnosed cases was carried out, categorizing diagnostic errors and exploring possible causes. ResultsThe diagnostic results generated by ChatGPT showed an accuracy of 0.73, sensitivity of 0.95, and specificity of 0.58. After few-shot learning, ChatGPT demonstrated significant improvement, achieving an accuracy of 0.87, sensitivity of 0.99, and specificity of 0.73, bringing it much closer to the level of physician diagnostics. In an experiment analyzing the influence of the radiologist's reporting style, the model demonstrated higher sensitivity when interpreting reports written by high-level radiologists. In 56 benign cases, ChatGPT misdiagnosed them as malignant. Among these, 35 benign lesions- fibrous dysplasia and osteofibrous dysplasia- were incorrectly identified as metastatic tumors or osteosarcomas; 8 cases of myositis ossificans were wrongly diagnosed as extraosseous osteosarcoma. 7 cases of giant cell tumor of bone at the end of long bone were misdiagnosed as osteosarcoma by intermediate doctors. Chondroblastoma was misdiagnosed as malignant tumor in 6 cases −2 osteosarcoma and 4 chondrosarcoma-In this study, 23 osteosarcoma cases were misdiagnosed by ChatGPT as osteomyelitis; Chondrosarcoma was misdiagnosed as fibrous dysplasia or aneurysmal bone cyst in 8 cases. Four cases of spinal chordoma were misdiagnosed as spinal tuberculosis. ConclusionOur findings highlight the potential of ChatGPT in the diagnosis of benign and malignant bone tumors, offering advantages like enhanced efficiency and a reduction in missed diagnoses. However, the necessity of collaborative interactions between physicians and ChatGPT in practical settings was underscored. With an examination into AI's capacity in benign and malignant bone tumors diagnosis, this study lays the groundwork for future AI advancements in medicine. Additionally, the benefits of few-shot learning in fine-tuning ChatGPT applications in specialized fields were also demonstrated.

Imaging of musculoskeletal tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) represents a major public health problem worldwide. Any tissue may be infected. Involvement of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system account for 1-3% of all tuberculous infections. MSK TB may manifest as tuberculous spondylitis, arthritis, osteomyelitis, and soft tissue infections. Although TB spondylitis may present with distinctive imaging features compared to pyogenic infections of the spine, the imaging semiology of extra-spinal TB infections is mostly nonspecific and may mimic other lesions. TB infections should therefore always be considered in the differential diagnosis, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this article is to review the imaging features of spinal and extra-spinal MSK TB. Magnetic resonance imaging is considered the modality of choice to make the diagnosis and to evaluate the extent of the disease.

Predictive Value of Vertebral Bone Destruction Classification Based on Computed Tomography in Diagnosing on Adult Spinal Tuberculosis

Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is well established for evaluation of spinal tuberculosis (TB), the importance of computed tomography (CT) should not be overlooked. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of spinal TB and the relationship between spinal TB and the bone lesion pattern seen on three-dimensional CT images. One hundred and sixty-one subjects were divided into a TB-positive group and a TB-negative group based on laboratory (X-pert MTB/RIF) results and then subdivided further according to whether the bone lesion pattern seen on three-dimensional CT images was fragmentary, osteolytic, sclerotic, or had no evidence of bone destruction. The diagnostic value of the bone lesion pattern was compared between the TB-positive and TB-negative groups. Ninety-nine of the 161 patients were TB-positive and 62 were TB-negative. Fifty-six (34.8%) of the 161 patients had fragmentary/osteolytic lesions, seventy-four (45.9%) had absolute osteolytic lesions, 13 (8.1%) had osteosclerotic lesions, and 18 (11.2%) had no evidence of bone destruction. The fragmentary/osteolytic lesion pattern was strongly predictive of spinal TB (odds ratio 3.33), and when combined with three MRI findings (thin abscess wall, more than half of the vertebral body destroyed, and subligamentous spread) had an even stronger diagnostic value (odds ratio 15.58). The absolute osteolytic pattern was the most common of the bone lesion patterns. The fragmentary/osteolytic pattern is highly suggestive of spinal TB, especially when combined with MRI findings of a thin abscess wall, destruction of more than half of the vertebral body, and subligamentous spread.

Differential distribution of linezolid in diseased and nondiseased bones in patients with spinal tuberculosis

BackgroundLinezolid exhibits antibacterial activity against sensitive and drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Knowledge on the distribution of linezolid in different types of bones in patients with spinal tuberculosis (TB) is lacking, which limits the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of linezolid. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of linezolid in diseased and nondiseased bones in patients with spinal TB.MethodsSpinal TB patients treated with linezolid-containing regimens and whose diseased and nondiseased bones were collected during surgery were enrolled retrospectively from January 2017 to February 2022. Blood, nondiseased bones, and diseased bones were collected simultaneously during the operation. Linezolid concentrations in the plasma, nondiseased bones, and diseased bones were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsSeven eligible spinal TB patients, including one rifampicin-resistant case, were enrolled. Following a 600 mg oral administration of linezolid before surgery, the median concentrations of linezolid in plasma, nondiseased bone, and diseased bone of the seven patients were 8.23, 1.01, and 2.13 mg/L, respectively. The mean ratios of linezolid concentration in nondiseased bones/plasma, diseased bones/plasma and diseased bones/nondiseased bones reached 0.26, 0.49, and 2.27, respectively. The diseased bones/plasma presented a higher mean ratio of linezolid concentration than nondiseased bones/plasma, and the difference was statistically significant (t = 2.55, p = 0.025). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed the positively correlation of linezolid concentrations in diseased and nondiseased bones (r = 0.810, p = 0.027).ConclusionsLinezolid exhibits a higher concentration distribution in diseased bones than in nondiseased bones.

Spinal Tuberculosis in Pregnancy: A Case Series

Spinal Tuberculosis (Pott’s Spine) infection during pregnancy poses significant challenges in early diagnosis, as it often resembles typical back pain experienced during pregnancy. Delayed diagnosis has resulted in maternal and foetal complications, including paraplegia, premature labor, preterm delivery, and foetal growth restriction. Treatment approaches are tailored to individual clinical presentations and may involve conservative or surgical intervention. Surgical decompression should be considered when there is a neurological deficit that could complicate the delivery process. The standard Antituberculous Therapy (ATT) regimen for 12 months is an accepted treatment protocol according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines during the antenatal period. The present case series comprises four middle-aged pregnant women (two aged 19 years, one aged 21 years, and one aged 35 years, all primigravida) diagnosed with Pott’s spine at various trimesters, exhibiting a range of clinical presentations from mild back pain to acute neurological deficits. One patient in the late trimester with a neurological deficit required surgical decompression, while the remaining patients were successfully managed with appropriate ATT

Improvement in Outcomes with a New Bedaquiline-based Regimen in Postoperative Cases of Drug-resistant Tuberculosis of the Spine: A Case Series

The incidence of drug-resistant strains of Tuberculosis (TB) is rising at an alarming rate. With the emergence of newer drug-resistant strains, managing the disease with existing antitubercular agents is becoming increasingly difficult. Few studies exist regarding the treatment of drug-resistant TB of the spine using a Bedaquiline-based regimen. Therefore, the efficacy of shorter regimens with novel drugs such as Bedaquiline and Delamanid in drug-resistant TB of the spine must be analysed. The present case series highlights the outcomes of a newer Bedaquiline-based antitubercular regimen in postoperative cases of drug-resistant TB of the spine. All three cases discussed in this study-54-year-old female, 12-year-old female, and 19-year-old female patients-had a clinical and radiological diagnosis of TB of the spine with significant neurodeficits. They underwent decompression and instrumentation surgery. Postoperatively, all three were diagnosed with drug-resistant TB and were started on a Bedaquiline-based antitubercular regimen. Subsequently, all the patients showed significant improvement in neurodeficits with no radiological evidence of recurrence. Therefore, Bedaquiline might play an important role in the future management of drug-resistant spinal TB.

Defining the end point of drug therapy in tuberculosis of spine: Analysis of 76 cases in a tertiary care centre

Abstract Background: The duration of chemotherapy for the tubercular spine is an unresolved issue. Various drug regimens have been used for various durations. Objectives: (1) To calculate the duration of antitubercular therapy (ATT) for achieving the healed status of the tubercular spine, (2) to report the behavior of kyphotic deformity, and (3) outcome of neurological deficit. Materials and Methods: This longitudinal descriptive study included 76 cases of tubercular spine diagnosed on clinico-imaging and/or on histopathology/molecular tests. They were treated as per the DOTS regime. Surgery was done for predetermined indications. ATT was stopped once healed status was demonstrated on CE-MRI/PET-CT. Kyphotic deformity was measured by modified Konstam’s method, and neurological grading was assessed by Tuli’s grading. Results: The mean duration of healing was 20.08 ± 8.09 months (range 9–48 months) in primary spinal TB with no recurrence after the mean follow-up of 15 months (range 3–108 months). Overall, 92.6% showed good neural outcomes at the final follow-up. Mean kyphotic deformity was found to be 16.75° ± 12.23°, 18.78° ± 12.62°, and 18.78° ± 12.53° at presentation, after stopping ATT and at the final follow-up. Conclusion: It is unscientific to stop ATT in spinal TB till healed status is demonstrated by contrast-enhanced MRI or PET-CT. Although the sample size is small, the data is enough to prove this point that if all patients were treated till healed status was achieved, there would be no recurrence.

From Weakness to Imaging: Prediagnostic Symptomatic Interval and Characteristics of Patients with Tuberculous Spondylitis (Pott’s Disease): a Multi-Center Experience from an LMIC

From Weakness to Imaging: Prediagnostic Symptomatic Interval and Characteristics of Patients with Tuberculous Spondylitis (Pott’s Disease): a Multi-Center Experience from an LMIC

Brucellar Spondylodiscitis - A Silent Cause of Concern

A 68-year-old male with a history of persistent lower back discomfort visited our orthopedic department. Based on magnetic resonance imaging that was compatible with infective spondylodiscitis at a medical facility close to his home, spinal tuberculosis (TB) was suspected, and the patient was transferred to our hospital for further therapy. The patient was treated appropriately after investigations revealed that he had an unusual diagnosis of Brucellar spondylodiscitis. Therefore, it must be taken into consideration as a differential diagnosis when a patient presents with lower back discomfort (especially in the elderly) and symptoms of a persistent infection. Brucellar spondylodiscitis may clinically mimic spinal TB. Serological screening is essential for the early diagnosis and treatment of spinal brucellosis.

Retrospective Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Spinal Tuberculosis and Brucellosis Lesion Removal and Posterior Pedicle Lesion Removal, Bone Grafting, Internal Fixation and Surgery Combined with Medical Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Spinal Tuberculosis and Brucellosis.

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of endoscopic removal of spinal infections and posterior pedicle surgery, including bone grafting, fixation, and chemotherapy, and to outline preventive strategies for complications, offering guidance for clinical practice. 128 spinal infectious disease patients (2018-2022) were categorized into Group A (endoscopic removal, n=44) and Group B (posterior pedicle removal+bone grafting+fixation, n=84). Pre-surgery, all received quadruple antibiotic therapy. Metrics tracked: operation time, blood loss, drainage, recovery, stay, transfusion, complications, and pre/post-surgery VAS, ODI, ESR, CRP, PCT, D-dimer, NLR, Hb, albumin. (1) Preoperative data: There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, body mass index, involved segments, past medical history (cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, endocrine system diseases, metabolic diseases and tuberculosis), smoking history, preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, D-dimer, lymphocyte and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, hemoglobin, total protein, waist VAS score and waist ODI score (P>0.05). (2) The main postoperative indexes were significantly lower than those of group B at the last follow-up at 3 months and the last follow-up in group A, and the difference was significant (P<0.05), the hemoglobin and total protein in group A were significantly higher than those in group B at the last postoperative follow-up (P<0.05), and the recurrence rate in group B was significantly higher than that in group A, and the difference was significant (P=0.048). (3) Postoperative secondary indicators: the amount of blood transfusion in group A was significantly lower than that in group B, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), while the operation time, intraoperative blood loss and postoperative hospital stay in group A were significantly smaller than those in group B, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Endoscopic lesion removal for spinal infections achieves similar safety to posterior pedicle surgery, with shorter operation time, less blood loss, lower recurrence, and reduced drainage. It enhances ESR, spine function, and pain relief, meriting promotion.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis of spine diagnosis and management: An institutional experience of 21 cases.

We aimed to establish a standardized protocol for managing multidrug-resistant (MDR) spinal tuberculosis (TB), addressing the surgical options, ranging from computed tomography-guided biopsy to intraoperative sampling. This study developed a treatment/management protocol based on an analysis of clinical, radiological, and postoperative outcomes for 21 patients with spinal MDR-TB. Over 24 months, 21 patients with multidrug-resistant spinal TB underwent the following testing: erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), numerical rating scale (NRS), and the American Spinal Injury Association Scale. Radiological criteria were based upon a comparison of preoperative and 6-month to 2-year postoperative plain radiographs. The 21 patients underwent guided biopsies (35%) or intraoperative sampling (65%). For the surgical cases, dorsal vertebrae were most frequently involved (75%), and 90% underwent posterior surgical procedures. Postoperatively, ESR, CRP, kyphosis angle, and NRS score were significantly reduced. The 3 MDR patients who failed treatment were transitioned to the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) protocol wherein bedaquiline, linezolid, cycloserine, and clofazimine were given after drug sensitivity testing drug regimen, needed no further surgery, and none exhibited additional neurological deterioration. Regular clinical, laboratory, radiological, and outcome analysis is vital for following MDR spinal TB patients; early detection of relatively rare treatment failures (i.e., 3/21 patients in this series) allows for prompt initiation of XDR treatment, resulting in better outcomes.

Spinal Tuberculosis: An Exhaustive Diagnosis.

The most common organ affected due to tuberculosis (TB) is the lungs. Extrapulmonary TB is less common. Musculoskeletal organs are affected in around 8% of all tubercular patients, of which the spine is affected in almost half of the patients. The criteria for diagnosing spinal TB are quite difficult and we use an array of investigations for the same. A retrospective study was carried out in the Neurosurgery and Microbiology Department at IMS and SUM Hospital between January 2021 and November 2023, and data were collected and tabulated in an Excel sheet. One hundred patients with spinal TB were evaluated, and their age, sex, samples sent, diagnostic investigation, duration of diagnosis from hospital admission, histopathology results, and surgical intervention (done or not) were recorded. The best investigation done to diagnose spinal TB was imaging and surgical/computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy. The earliest result to diagnose spinal TB was histopathology. The yield of positivity in pus culture, smear microscopy, and true nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) was found to be low even though sensitivity was on the higher side. Even though we have an array of investigations for diagnosing spinal TB, the best and the earliest diagnosing test was imaging plus CT-guided biopsy. The confirmation is made in the biopsy. Finding acid-fast bacteria (AFB) and NAAT tests are additional beneficial tests to supplement the diagnosis. Hence, we can conclude that sending for tests like AFB in pus, NAAT, and GeneXpert is a wastage of biological samples and delays in diagnosis.