Pott's disease
189164
225131538
2008-07-12T01:18:42Z
71.194.23.12
/* Late complications */
{{Infobox_Disease
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| ICD10 = {{ICD10|A|18|0|a|15}}, {{ICD10|M|49|0|m|45}}
| ICD9 = {{ICD9|015.0}}
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| 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]]