top of page
< Back

EP278

E-Poster

Came Too Soon: Relapse Pott’s Disease in a Young Patient

Maniventhan Nachimuthu, Mohd Hezery H

Putra University, Malaysia

First formally described by English surgeon Percivall Pott in 1779, Pott's disease is one of the primary causes of spinal deformity and sometimes paralysis. While spinal TB in very young children often presents with severe deformities that lead to surgery, conservative management with anti-TB medication can be successful if the disease is caught early, even with significant, yet not completely unstable, spinal destruction. However, recurrence may also occur. We report of such a case encountered at our center that clinically fared well treated conservatively. A 3-year-old child had history of prolonged cough for a year prior, due to worsening pain and loss of weight presented to our center. As the imaging revealed T5-T6 sclerotic/lytic changes with pedicle obliteration, and Mantoux test positive, anti-TB treatment was commenced. Child was also placed on brace. Subsequent follow up child had significantly positive response. This, however, was short lived as child started having recurrent symptoms of weight loss but without pain nor neurological deficit after a year, which lead to repeated imaging. With similar radiological findings, and clinical symptoms non devastating, anti- tuberculosis treatment and bracing was restarted, and response to it was again successful. This case highlights the clinical complexity and management challenges of Pott’s disease. Although the patient faced with recurrence, comprehensive medical management and non-surgical stabilization led to a favorable outcome. While management of spine tuberculosis may vary between surgeons who prefer only operative management, and some who only do surgery on complicated cases, the role of medical treatment in non-complicated cases should always be reviewed as it may result in favorable outcome such in this child.

bottom of page