Osteoarticular tuberculosis (TB) of long bones is an uncommon manifestation and a frequently challenging diagnosis due to the absence of typical symptoms. We report a case of an infant with tubercular osteomyelitis involving the distal radial metaphysis. He presented with a lytic lesion in the distal radius, which was treated with decompression, debridement and biopsy. The TB was diagnosed by detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (low) on cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test, and histopathological analysis verified the diagnosis. Anti-tubercular medication treatment improved radiological and clinical outcomes. This case emphasises the importance of considering TB as a differential diagnosis for lytic bone lesions in infants, particularly in endemic areas. Early diagnosis through appropriate investigations and combined medical–surgical management can achieve excellent outcomes without growth disturbances or deformities.
Yadav et al. (2026) studied this question.