Pott's Disease: An Emerging Source of Potentially Inappropriate Treatment

Abstract

Spinal Tuberculosis in children is uncommon, even more so in cases of involvement of posterior vertebral elements, and its diagnosis is often delayed. Here we report the case of a young female presenting neuroradiological features and clinical symptoms suspicious for malignant tumor. Histological examination of biopsy specimen evidenced a Pott's disease. We highlight the importance of suspecting this disorder in children with both aspecific systemic and neurological symptoms, in order to reach a timely diagnosis for appropriate and targeted intervention, avoiding the risk of overtreatment and malpractice claims.

Keyword

Pott's disease - spinal tuberculosis - tuberculosis - children

Study funding

No targeted funding reported.

Disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose with regard to this manuscript.

Ethical Approval

An informed consent form was signed by the parents of the patient to approve the use of patient information or material for scientific purposes. The patient identity has not been disclosed anywhere in the manuscript and does not contain any identifiable images.

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