Treatment of Bone and Joint Tuberculosis in France: A Multicentre Retrospective Study

• Main Authors: Aurélie Guillouzouic, Claire Andrejak, Olivia Peuchant, Geneviève Hery-Arnaud, Farida Hamdad, Philippe Lanotte, Benjamin Gaborit, Louis Bernard, Pascale Bémer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: spinal tuberculosis; extraspinal tuberculosis; bone and joint tuberculosis; diagnosis; treatment duration
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/8/2529

Background: Nine percent of all cases of tuberculosis are bone and joint tuberculosis (BJTB). BJTB occurs in two main forms: spinal (STB) and extraspinal (ESTB). The aim of this study was to compare STB with ESTB in terms of diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. Methods: We collected demographic, clinical, microbiological, treatment duration and outcome data for patients with BJTB in a retrospective multicentre study over a 17-year period. Results: Of the 116 patients included in the study, 69 (59.5%) had STB and 47 (40.5%) had ESTB. The median age was higher in the ESTB group. There were significantly more foreign-born patients in the STB group. The median time for diagnosis was longer for ESTB (6 months) than STB (4 months) (<i>p</i> = 0.017). Magnetic resonance imaging was highly reliable for the diagnosis. Direct examination and histology allowed the diagnosis to be made in more than 80% of cases. The median treatment duration of 12 months, regardless of the type of BJTB, was longer than recommended. A favourable outcome was achieved in 91.9% of cases. Conclusion: The management of BJTB remains challenging. An earlier diagnosis should be more effective, reducing the total duration of treatment and leading to better tolerance.