A Rare Case of Tubercular Osteomyelitis of Mandible in a 5-year-old Child.

Tuberculosis (TB), also known as Koch's disease, is a chronic granulomatous disease typically caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). On 24th March 1882, Dr Robert Koch discovered M. tuberculosis that caused TB. In humans, M. bovis and atypical mycobacterium may also cause this disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Report 2022, published on 27th October 2022, the incidence of TB in India for the year 2022 is 210/100,000 population. Primarily, TB affects the pulmonary region in humans, whereas secondarily, it may affect extrapulmonary sites such as the bones and intestines via lymph nodes. In this article, we are reporting a rare case of tubercular osteomyelitis of the mandible, in which the patient reported swelling of the cheek, mimicking an odontogenic infection that led to mandibular osteomyelitis. The definitive diagnosis of tubercular osteomyelitis was made by cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CB-NAAT) when the cheesy material was found during surgical debridement and curettage of the mandible. Following that diagnosis, antitubercular treatment (ATT) was started immediately for the patient, which led to the complete resolution of the disease. The patient has been on regular follow-up for the last six months with no evidence of relapse of disease. Primary TB of the mandible is very rare, with only a few reported cases in the literature. How to cite this article: Khan MA, Rahman SA, Danish M, et al. A Rare Case of Tubercular Osteomyelitis of Mandible in a 5-year-old Child. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(2):202-205.

A case report of temporomandibular joint tuberculosis in a neonate with eleven years follow-up.

Background: Tuberculosis of the Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in a neonate is a rare entity. Undiagnosed/mismanaged tuberculosis can disseminate and be life-threatening to the patient. The purpose is to present a case of tubercular osteomyelitis of TMJ in a neonate with eleven years of follow-up. Case presentation: A one-and-a-half-month-old male neonate presented with a firm swelling in front of the left ear for the past 20 days. Ultrasound presented an avascular, hypoechoic lesion of 34*25*25mm. Irregular margins of underlying bone could suggest erosion. Aspiration revealed pus. ZN staining of pus revealed Mycobacterium tuberculosis. After draining the pus, the patient underwent antitubercular therapy. He revisited at ten years of age with a complaint of asymmetry. Although the patient got cured of his tuberculosis, investigations rose to a diagnosis of condylar hypoplasia with ipsilateral coronoid enlargement. A distraction of the mandible improved facial symmetry. Conclusion: Although pus revealed the presence of Acid-fast bacilli, it is not evident until there is a significant bacterial load. Escalation of tests with higher sensitivity is needed to diagnose tubercular osteomyelitis of TMJ. Patients must be made aware of possible sequelae of tubercular osteomyelitis of TMJ and need appropriate management. Oblique osteotomy at the angle and distraction improves both horizontal and vertical components of the mandible and thus improves symmetry. To the best of the author's knowledge, the following is the first case of primary tuberculosis of TMJ in a neonate and with such an extended follow-up.

Primary Tubercular Osteomyelitis Affecting the Mandibular Condyle - A Case Report.

Rationale: Primary orofacial tuberculosis (TB) accounts for <3% of all cases of TB. TB of the mandibular condyle is often misdiagnosed owing to its rarity. Patient Concerns: This report presents a 19-year-old female who presented with a painful swelling over the right preauricular region. The radiographic evaluation suggested a diagnosis of suppurative osteomyelitis of the condyle. Diagnosis: Clinically, the aetiology of the swelling was considered as infective. The histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed tuberculous granuloma and the polymerase chain reaction came positive.This confirms the diagnosis of tubercular osteomyelitis. Mantoux test and sputum acid-fast bacilli were found to be negative. Treatment: The patient was subjected to sequestrectomy with high condylectomy and systemic multidrug antitubercular regimen for 6 months. Outcomes: There was a resolution of infection postoperatively with subsequent regeneration of healthy bone. Take-away Lessons: Early identification and prompt diagnosis is imperative for better treatment outcomes.

Tubercular Osteomyelitis of the Orbit Presenting as Periorbital Cellulitis.

PURPOSE: Osteomyelitis of the orbital bones presenting as an orbital cellulitis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB). We report a rare case of tubercular osteomyelitis of the orbital bones presenting as a periorbital cellulitis. CASE REPORT: A seven-year-old female child presented to our tertiary eye care center with swelling involving the right eyelids and the right cheek for two months. She had been provisionally diagnosed elsewhere as pre-septal cellulitis and had been given oral antibiotics. We clinically diagnosed her as orbital cellulitis, but her non-responsiveness to intravenous antibiotics prompted us to get a contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the orbit and paranasal sinuses, which was suggestive of tubercular etiology. However, the patient had no foci for TB elsewhere. We used a relatively new, but rapid test, called Cartridge-based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) on the pus aspirate which was positive for TB. Thereafter, the patient was started on anti-tubercular treatment to which she responded wonderfully. CONCLUSION: A high index of suspicion should be kept for TB infection in cases of orbital cellulitis with unusual clinical behavior in an endemic region such as India.

Costal tubercular osteomyelitis presenting as an orbital abscess.

Orbital abscesses are most commonly associated with co-existing active paranasal sinus infection. Herein, the authors present the case of an orbital abscess in the setting of costal tubercular osteomyelitis and an anterior chest wall abscess in the absence of any paranasal sinus pathology in an immunocompetent patient. Costal tuberculosis is a very rare form of extrapulmonary skeletal tuberculosis and is challenging to diagnose. Initial presentation as an orbital abscess remote from the site of the primary pathology is of extremely rare occurrence. In this instance, the diagnosis of tuberculous osteomyelitis was suspected primarily on the basis of clinicoradiological features. The patient was treated with, and responded well to, standard first-line anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) for extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

The Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Spine Infections.

The management of pediatric spine infections requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes orthopedic surgeons, infectious disease specialists, interventional radiologists, and others. The prevalence of the disease has increased in frequency, virulence, and degree of soft tissue involvement over the past several years; there has also been a resurgence of some types of infections, such as tuberculosis, fungal, and viral pathogens. The diagnosis can often be reached with a detailed history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging studies. Pathologies mimicking infection require a more invasive approach for diagnosis, including core or open biopsy. The treatment of discitis, spondylodiscitis, vertebral osteomyelitis, spinal epidural, and intramedullary abscesses in children is at times complex, and although many infections can be treated non-surgically with antibiotic therapy, some more extensive infections require surgical management. A timely diagnosis is important as it allows the initiation of the appropriate antimicrobial therapy and would decrease the complexity of the subsequent surgical intervention.

Tubercular Osteomyelitis of Pubis with Labial Abscess: A Rare Presentation of a Common Disease.

Introduction: Skeletal tuberculosis (TB) accounts for 10-15% of all cases of extra-pulmonary TB. The involvement of pubis is extremely rare with only 40 cases of pubic bone TB reported in the medical literature. The presentation of the disease with labial abscess is much rarer with only one case reported till now. Case Report: A 23-year-old female presented with symptoms of pain and swelling in the right groin. The patient was evaluated with hematological and radiological investigations and the diagnosis of Tubercular osteomyelitis of pubis with labial abscess was confirmed using AFB staining and culture of the aspirate. The patient was subsequently managed with Anti-tubercular chemotherapy for 18 months and the lesion healed with excellent functional outcome. Conclusion: Tubercular Osteomyelitis of the pubis is a rare disease with varied clinical presentation. Timely diagnosis and anti-tubercular chemotherapy usually result in complete recovery.

Challenges and controversies in the treatment of spinal tuberculosis.

Current guidelines regarding management of spinal TB are mostly extrapolated from trials on pulmonary disease. Since the British Medical Research Council (BMRC) trials in the 1970s, there are not many good quality studies that substantiate best practice guidelines for the management of this entity. Tuberculous infection of the spine behaves much differently from bacterial osteomyelitis and limited data leads to ambiguity in many cases. Although a few studies have been conducted in patients with spinal TB, most were in the era preceding short course chemotherapy and prior to current radiological and surgical advances. While spinal TB is primarily managed medically, surgical intervention may be needed in certain cases. We discuss areas of uncertainty and challenges that exist with regards to medical treatment, diagnosis, therapeutic endpoints, and a few surgical considerations. Substantial delay in diagnosis continues to be common with this disease even in the developed nations, leading to substantial morbidity. In light of limited evidence, there is an emerging recognition of the need to individualize various aspects of its treatment such as duration, frequency and acknowledging the limitations of various diagnostic and radiological modalities. We aim to consolidate potential areas of research in the diagnosis and management of spinal TB and to revisit the latest published evidence on its redressal.

Isolated tuberculosis of metacarpal bone in a 3 year-old child.

Primary tuberculosis osteomyelitis of metacarpal bone is rare. The majority of cases occur in children and young adults and there is difficulty in diagnosis mainly in young children. We report a new case in children aged of 3 years, presenting a swelling on the dorsal side of her right hand since 8 months. X-ray showed an expansile, cystic and lytic lesion involving the little finger metacarpal. Tuberculosis was confirmed on histological examination. No lesions in lung parenchyma or lymphadenopathy were associated. Patient was successfully managed by anti-tubercular drugs.

Multifocal pure tubercular osteomyelitis: An unusual presentation in childhood.

Tuberculosis is a major health problem in the developing world. One-third of children infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis have extra pulmonary involvement. Skeletal tuberculosis occurs in 1-6% of them with vertebra being the commonest site. Pure tubercular osteomyelitis without joint involvement occurs in only 2-3% cases of osteoarticular tuberculosis. Common sites are femur, tibia, and fibula. Disseminated skeletal involvement is very rare in children (7%) and calvarial osteomyelitis is even rarer (1%). Here, we report a unique case of disseminated skeletal TB. A 7-year-old tribal girl with no evidence of immunodeficiency presented with multiple lytic lesions involving skull, sternum, and hip bone surprisingly sparing the joints and appendicular skeleton. There was no pulmonary involvement either. FNAC from all three swellings showed presence of acid-fast bacillus. Bone biopsy followed by culture in BACTEC further confirmed the diagnosis. There was complete resolution of the swellings after one year of anti-tubercular drug therapy.

Spinal infections in children: A review.

Spinal infections are uncommon but significant causes of morbidity and hospitalization in the paediatric population. These infections encompass a broad range of conditions, from discitis to osteomyelitis and spinal epidural and intramedullary abscesses. Paediatric spinal infections can be caused by a range of bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic agents. Ultrastructural differences of the vertebrae and associated structures result in distinct mechanisms of pathogenesis of spinal infections in children compared to adults. The non-specific nature of symptoms produced by them can cause considerable diagnostic delays. Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging can facilitate early identification of the disease, and distinguish it from other spinal pathologies. The association of antimicrobial resistant bacterial strains from some of the cases appears worrisome; as is the increasing incidence of Kingella kingae infections causing spinal infections. Rest and immobilization are the general treatment, and prompt initiation of antimicrobial therapy is warranted to ensure optimal clinical outcome. Most patients generally have a good prognosis; however, early identification and prompt initiation of antimicrobial therapy is essential to achieve the best therapeutic response.