Tuberculous Arthritis

What is a Tuberculous Arthritis?

Tuberculous arthritis is a disease caused by the same bacteria that causes tuberculosis. Through the blood and lymphatic systems, these bacteria can travel to other parts of your body after entering through your lungs.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacteria that causes tuberculous (TB) arthritis, an inflammatory joint disease. The development of TB arthritis is rare in those infected with this bacteria.

TB is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Since the 1950s, TB rates in the US have dropped by more than ten timesTrusted Source. Since 2012, the annual number of cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been below 10,000.

Respiratory symptoms are caused by pulmonary TB, the most prevalent kind of the illness. From your lungs, the germs may travel to other areas of your body, including your:

• spine
• joints
• kidney
• brain
• lymph nodes

Everything you need to know about TB arthritis, including its symptoms, course of therapy, and possible side effects, is included in this article.

Symptoms of Tuberculous Arthritis:

The most typical location for TB arthritis to develop is the:

• Hip (25%)
• Spine (40%)
• Knee (8%).

On rarer occasions, it may appear in joints like your wrist or ankle. When it affects your spine, it usually affects your mid-back or thoracic spine.

One joint is often affected by the slow-progressing symptoms of TB arthritis. It might be confused with rheumatoid arthritis or other types of arthritis.

Among the symptoms are:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Decreased range of motion

Elevated inflammatory markers are frequently seen in blood testing.

Up to one-third of patients report fever and weight loss, and about half of people experience respiratory problems. You may get respiratory symptoms like these if you also have pulmonary tuberculosis:

• coughing
• chest pain
• pain when breathing
• coughing up blood

Causes of Tuberculous Arthritis?

Breathing in respiratory secretions is the primary way that Mycobacterium TB is transmitted from one individual to another.

• Singing
• Talking
• Coughing

These fluids include bacteria that can enter and grow in your lungs.

Who gets tuberculous arthritis?

Approximately one-third of people worldwide are affected with tuberculosis, with developing nations having the highest prevalence. It ranks among the top ten global causes of mortality. Traveling to a place where tuberculosis is prevalent increases your risk of developing TB arthritis.

Approximately 10–35% of individuals with TB outside of their lungs experience musculoskeletal symptoms, which include symptoms that impact their:

• Muscles
• Bones
• Joints

When HIV-positive individuals get TB, they are more likely to experience symptoms outside of their lungs.

Diagnosis of Tuberculous Arthritis

Doctors use tests like these to diagnose TB arthritis:

• scheduling blood tests, MRIs, and X-rays to check for inflammatory signs
• Rheumatoid arthritis is frequently mistaken as it.
• In a lab, doctors can utilize this tissue sample to check for bacterial infection symptoms.

Treatment of Tuberculous Arthritis

The primary treatment for the infection is antituberculosis medication therapy.

• isoniazid (Hydra, Hyzyd, Isovit)
• rifampicin (Rifadin)
• pyrazinamide (Rifater, Rimstar, Voractiv)
• ethambutol (Myambutol)

Rheumatoid arthritis, in which your immune system assaults healthy cells in your joints, is rare but can be caused by TB. Rheumatoid arthritis can be treated with the following:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Corticosteroids
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
• Biologics

Complications of Tuberculous Arthritis?

The bones around your joints may be destroyed as a result of TB arthritis. Since the bacteria lacks the enzymes necessary to break down cartilage, the degradation typically doesn’t happen until the illness has grown to an advanced state.

Permanent side effects from severe arthritis include:

• Disability
• Joint structural changes
• Chronic pain

With no indication of germs in your joints, TB causes a kind of multi-joint arthritis called “poncet disease.” It falls under the category of reactive arthritis.

When TB arthritis develops in areas of the body other than the lungs, it is often not contagious.

Can you prevent tuberculous arthritis?

TB arthritis can be avoided by:

Keeping a distance from those who have pulmonary TB
obtaining a blood test for TB before departing the United States and 8–10 weeks after returning if you will be interacting with individuals who are at high risk of contracting the disease while traveling taking precautions against HIV, which might raise your chance of contracting TB outside of your lungs, like:

• Avoiding sharing injection equipment,
• Using a condom or other barrier technique during intercourse For those with a high risk of exposure, it might be taken into consideration.

FAQs

References

• Yetman, D. (2023, October 11). Overview of Tuberculous Arthritis. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/tuberculous-arthritis