TITLE:
Extra-Pulmonary Pott’s Disease with Intracranial Manifestations: An Inmate’s Story
AUTHORS:
Stephen M. Braden, Ayman Yousef, Krishna Patel, Carlos Dostal, Michael Boyars
KEYWORDS:
Pott’s Disease, Tuberculosis, Spinal TB, Tuberculosis Meningitis
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Tuberculosis Research,
Vol.9 No.2,
May
25,
2021
ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis is a chronic disease that is the
leading cause of infectious disease deaths worldwide. In developed countries,
incidences are minimal and however, complicated manifestations of tuberculosis are
becoming a trend within the prison system. This case
report illustrates a patient within the United States correctional system who demonstrated a rare
infection of tuberculosis despite absent pulmonary findings. Our Patient was a 39-year-old
inmate presenting with fatigue, night sweats,
weight loss, and progressive dyspnea. Pulmonary imaging and cultures of sputum were negative for
tuberculosis. Further imaging and laboratory workups demonstrated extensive
spinal infections along with intracranial lesions that were positive for
tuberculosis. Neurosurgery declined operative medicine due to advancement of
the disease and appropriate antibiotic therapy was immediately initiated.
Tuberculosis continues to exist in developed countries with an increased emergence of
complicated cases. Furthermore, incarceration
dramatically increases an individual’s risk of worse infections. The clinical
impact involves promoting awareness for a need to identify and prevent
continued spread of disseminated infections. Therefore, further investigations
of this trend in prisons are worth considering.