Isolated tuberculosis of scaphoid in the skeletally immature: a rare cause of chronic wrist pain. (2nd May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Prakash, Jatin; Mehtani, Anil
• Is Part Of: BMJ case reports. Volume 2015
• Publication Date: 2015-05-02
• Subjects: Medicine -- Case studies -- Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2015-209569
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1757-790X

Abstract

Abstract : The hand and wrist are rare sites for tuberculosis and account for less than 1% of all skeletal tuberculosis. Though rare, tuberculosis of the wrist is a cause of major morbidity. A common feature in the available reports on hand and wrist tuberculosis was a delay in diagnosis causing residual stiffness and pain after treatment. Minimal initial symptoms, rarity of the lesion and ability of wrist tuberculosis to mimic more common pathologies account for the delay. No report of isolated scaphoid lesion in the paediatric age group has ever been reported. We present one such case, which was treated with multidrug chemotherapy. At the end of treatment the patient regained complete range of motion was completely pain free. No reactivation of disease was seen over 2-year follow-up.