Ab1422 Spine Tuberculosis: A Series of 39 Cases

Background: Pott's disease is still a major public health problem, particularly in developing countries. Objectives: Our aim was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic features of tuberculous spondylodiscitis. Methods: This is a retrospective and descriptive study of cases of spine tuberculosis identified in a rheumatology department between 2000 and 2023. Diagnosis was based on bacteriological or anatomopathological evidence, or on a combination of arguments. Results: There were 39 patients, divided into 23 women and 16 men. The mean age was 55.69 years 25-83. The average delay to diagnosis was 4,5 months. Initial signs were dominated by spinal pain (89,7%), which was inflammatory in 92% of cases, altered general condition (59%), fever (51,3%) and night sweats (33%). Neurological signs were present in 28,2% of cases. Biological inflammatory syndrome was present in 66,7% of cases. MRI was pathological in all cases, showing epiduritis in 64%, paravertebral abscesses in 30.8% and spinal cord compression in 17.9%. The lumbar region was most affected in 41% of cases. Multifocal involvement was observed in 15% cases. Tuberculin Skin Test was positive in 38.5% of cases. X-rays and thoracic CT scans revealed pulmonary involvement in 15.4% of cases. A spinal disc biopsy was performed in 71.8% of patients. Koch's bacillus was detected in 33% of cases. All patients received anti-tuberculosis treatment for an average of 12 months. Surgical treatment was indicated in 10.25% of cases. No deaths were reported during the course of the disease. Conclusion: Vertebral tuberculosis remains a fairly common pathology in our country. Diagnosis can be delayed by an insidious evolution and atypical signs, thereby increasing the risk of formidable complications, essentially neurological. REFERENCES: NIL. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.