Tuberculosis of the elbow joint

Abstract

Diagnosing osteoarticular tuberculosis clinically can be difficult and the clinician should always have a high index of suspicion. Not considering tuberculosis as a possibility in the differential diagnosis can delay definitive treatment by up to 10 years (with the mean being 16–19 months) leading to an increase in complications and loss of joint function.2 As this case illustrates, patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis do not always have the classic systemic symptoms associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. In addition, radiographs of the joint may look essentially normal. However, it is important to realize that these ‘normal’ findings do not rule out disease. A history of exposure to, and risk factors for, tuberculosis especially in the presence of atypical osteoarticular disease should be considered always.