| pubmed-article:12503025 | pubmed:abstractText | Centro-somatic tuberculous vertebral osteitis is defined as tuberculous infection of the vertebral body with preserved integrity of the adjacent intervertabral disk. Other types of vertebral tuberculosis include Pott's spondylodiscitis and exceptional lesions of the posterior arch. We report a case of centro-somatic tuberculous vertebral osteitis in a 14-year-old boy who developed staged lesions of the L2 to S1 bodies, associated with a posterior epidural collection but without any deterioration of the intervertebral disk on plain x-rays and computed tomography. This atypical aspect of the lesions required a surgical biopsy which yielded a yellow-whitish fibro-oleagenous, friable product more suggestive of neoplasm than infection, but histology rectified the diagnosis, showing typical caseo-follicular tuberculosis. A 6-month anti-tuberculosis regimen was rapidly followed by symptom improvement. We emphasize the importance of modern imaging techniques for the diagnosis of vertebral lesions and for guided biopsy or drainage. | lld:pubmed |
