Role of arthroscopy and endoscopy in management of tuberculosis of the foot and ankle

Tuberculosis presenting as arthritis of the ankle: A case report

Tuberculosis presenting as monoarticular involvement in immunocompetent patients is rare. Here, we report a Sri Lankan patient presenting with ankle swelling due to tuberculosis with no other extrapulmonary or pulmonary involvement. Magnetic resonance imaging showed destruction of articular cartilage of the ankle joint with chronic inflammation of the subtalar joint. The diagnosis was confirmed by synovial tissue culture which was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient recovered uneventfully with anti-tuberculosis treatment. Therefore, a high degree of suspicion is necessary to diagnose extrapulmonary tuberculosis when patients are presenting with atypical monoarthritis.

Current concepts in the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis of the elbow joint

Elbow is an uncommon joint to be affected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. It is involved in approximately 1-5% of all cases with musculoskeletal tuberculosis (TB). Early diagnosis of TB of the elbow joint can be easily missed due to an indolent natural history, delay in presentation, and varied clinical features. Delay in diagnosis can lead to irreversible osteoarticular destruction and loss of joint function. Careful clinical assessment, adequate imaging, microbiological, and/or histopathological confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is essential for early diagnosis of TB of the elbow joint. Judicious and early administration of anti-tubercular therapy can lead to preservation of the joint and a satisfactory functional outcome. Surgical intervention may be needed in later stages of the disease to achieve control of the infection, correction of deformity, instability, and restoration of function.