Coexistence of Tuberculous Arthritis and Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Rare Clinical Presentation

Concurrent pulmonary involvement in patients presenting with chronic monoarthritis is rare yet carries significant clinical and public health implications. We report a 32-year-old man with a five-month history of refractory knee monoarthritis whose synovial fluid culture grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Subsequent chest computed tomography revealed cavitary lesions in the upper lobes, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from the patient’s sputum, confirming concomitant pulmonary tuberculosis. Prompt identification of this dual presentation enabled immediate respiratory isolation, thorough contact investigation, and initiation of isoniazid preventive therapy, measures that averted irreversible joint destruction and interrupted potential community transmission. This case underscores the necessity of considering pulmonary evaluation in all patients with unexplained monoarthritis, particularly in regions where tuberculosis remains endemic