Pott's disease 189164 225131538 2008-07-12T01:18:42Z 71.194.23.12 /* Late complications */ {{Infobox_Disease | Name = {{PAGENAME}} | Image = | Caption = | DiseasesDB = | ICD10 = {{ICD10|A|18|0|a|15}}, {{ICD10|M|49|0|m|45}} | ICD9 = {{ICD9|015.0}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = D014399 }} [[Image:Tuberculosis_spine_mummy.jpg|thumb|right|Tuberculosis of the spine in an Egyptian mummy]] '''Pott's disease''' is a presentation of extrapulmonary [[tuberculosis]] that affects the [[vertebral column|spine]], a kind of tuberculous [[arthritis]] of the intervertebral joints. ==Signs and symptoms== * [[back pain]] * [[fever]] * night [[sweating]] * [[anorexia (symptom)|anorexia]] * [[weight loss]] * Spinal mass, sometimes associated with [[numbness]], [[tingling]], or [[muscle weakness]] of the legs ==Diagnosis== * [[blood test]]s - elevated [[erythrocyte sedimentation rate]] * [[tuberculin skin test]] * [[radiograph]]s of the spine * [[bone scan]] * [[computed tomography|CT]] of the spine * [[bone biopsy]] * [[MRI]] ==Late complications== * Vertebral collapse resulting in [[kyphosis]] * [[Spinal cord compression]] * [[sinus]] formation * [[paraplegia]] (so called Pott's paraplegia) ==Therapy== * non-operative - [[tuberculosis treatment|antituberculous drugs]] * [[analgesic]]s * immobilization of the spine region by rod (Hull) * [[Surgery]] may be necessary, especially to drain spinal [[abscess]]es or to stabilize the spine *Richards intramedullary hip screw - facilitating for bone healing *Kuntcher Nail - intramedullary rod *Austin Moore - intrameduallary rod (for Hemiarthroplasty) ==Cultural references== The fictional [[Hunchback of Hadleigh]] had a gibbous deformity ([[humpback]]) that is thought to have been caused by Robert Pott. Ibsen's play "A Doll's House," Dr. Rank suffers from "consumption of the spine." Furthermore, Jocelin, the Dean who wanted a spire on his cathedral in William Golding's "The Spire" probably suffered and died as a result of this disease. The 18th-century English poet [[Alexander Pope]] suffered from Pott's disease. [[Chick Webb]], swing era drummer and band leader, was afflicted with tuberculosis of the spine as a child, which left him hunchbacked. The Italian communist, Antonio Gramsci, also suffered from this disease as a child, giving him a hunchback and numerous health problems throughout his life. ==External links== * [http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1902.htm Pott Disease] Tuberculous Spondylitis - from eMedicine - medical article with [[MRI]] picture * [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000417.htm Tuberculous arthritis]. MedlinePlus. Public domain text from the US Government. [[Category:Tuberculosis]] [[Category:Bacterial diseases]] {{Bacterial diseases }} [[de:Pott-Gibbus]] [[fr:Mal de Pott]] [[pt:Mal de Pott]]