Philippine E-Journals

Tuberculous Arthritis and Meningitis in a Patient with Inadequately Treated Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Jane Eflyn L. Lardizabal-bunyi | Lily Ann H. Cabuling

 

Abstract:

 Extrapulmonary tuberculosis or tuberculosis of organs other than the lungs is reported in approximately 15 to 50% of cases in various countries. Although local data on the statistics of the different forms of tuberculosis is not readily available, different forms are reported in the country. These contribute to the number of patients with tuberculosis cases that eventually ends to mortality.

In this report, a case of co-existing tuberculosis of the knee and meninges in a patient with inadequately treated pulmonary tuberculosis is presented. Diagnostic methods – synovial fluid analysis; knee discharge acid-fast smear, culture and sensitivity; synovial tissue biopsy; cerebrospinal fluid analysis; x-rays of the chest and the right knee; cranial tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging – were utilized in the diagnosis of the case. Although most of these tests yielded results that were inconclusive, treatment was still promptly initiated preventing further deterioration and causing gradual resolution of the patient’s clinical manifestations.