International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 14, Issue 8 , Pages e659-e666 , August 2010

Is spinal tuberculosis contagious?

  • Patricia Schirmer

      Affiliations

    • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (132), Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
    • Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 650 852 3408; fax: +1 650 858 3978.
    • ,
  • Cybèle A. Renault

      Affiliations

    • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (132), Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
    • Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
    • ,
  • Mark Holodniy

      Affiliations

    • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (132), Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
    • Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Received 3 July 2009 ,Revised 18 July 2009 ,Accepted 4 November 2009.

References 

  1. Trends in tuberculosis—United States, 2007. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2008; 57:281–5.
  2. Ozol D, Koktener A, Uyar ME. Active pulmonary tuberculosis with vertebra and rib involvement: case report. South Med J. 2006;99:171–173
  3. Gorse GJ, Pais MJ, Kusske JA, Cesario TC. Tuberculous spondylitis. A report of six cases and a review of the literature. Medicine (Baltimore). 1983;62:178–193
  4. Goldblatt M, Cremin BJ. Osteo-articular tuberculosis: its presentation in coloured races. Clin Radiol. 1978;29:669–677
  5. Griffiths DL. The treatment of tuberculosis of bone and joint. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1978;72:559–563
  6. Tull SM, Kumar S. Early results of treatment of spinal tuberculosis by triple drug therapy. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1971;81:56–70
  7. Sankaran B. Tuberculosis of bones and joints. Indian J Tuberc. 1993;40:109–118
  8. Turgut M. Spinal tuberculosis (Pott's disease): its clinical presentation, surgical management, and outcome. A survey study on 694 patients. Neurosurg Rev. 2001;24:8–13
  9. Kaya A, Topu Z, Fitoz S, Numanoglu N. Pulmonary tuberculosis with multifocal skeletal involvement. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 2004;61:133–135
  10. Shivaram U, Wollschlager C, Khan F, Khan A. Spinal tuberculosis revisited. South Med J. 1985;78:681–684
  11. Okuyama Y, Nakaoka Y, Kimoto K, Ozasa K. Tuberculous spondylitis (Pott's disease) with bilateral pleural effusion. Int Med. 1996;35:883–885
  12. Garg RK. Tuberculosis of the central nervous system. Postgrad Med J. 1999;75:133–140
  13. Daniel TM, Debanne SM. The serodiagnosis of tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987;135:1137–1151
  14. Schlesinger N, Lardizabal A, Rao J, Rao J, McDonald R. Tuberculosis of the spine: experience in an inner city hospital. J Clin Rheumatol. 2005;11:17–20
  15. Panayotopoulos P, Diennis D, Vomvoyiannis A, Galazis D. Extensive asymptomatic spinal tuberculosis in a patient with active pulmonary disease. Practitioner. 1980;224:1298–1300
  16. De Tavera MP, De Leon EP. Tuberculosis of the lymphatics in children; its relation to spinal tuberculosis. A clinico-radiological study. Dis Chest. 1967;52:469–477
  17. Parimon T, Spitters CE, Muangman N, Euathrongchit J, Oren E, Narita M. Unexpected pulmonary involvement in extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients. Chest. 2008;134:589–594
  18. Marks SM, Taylor Z, Qualls NL, Shrestha-Kuwahara RJ, Wilce MA, Nguyen CH. Outcomes of contact investigations of infectious tuberculosis patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000;162:2033–2038
  19. Shaw JB, Wynn-Williams N. Infectivity of pulmonary tuberculosis in relation to sputum status. Am Rev Tuberc. 1954;69:724–732
  20. Underwood BR, White VL, Baker T, Law M, Moore-Gillon JC. Contact tracing and population screening for tuberculosis—who should be assessed?. J Public Health Med. 2003;25:59–61
  21. Reichler MR, Reves R, Bur S, Thompson V, Mangura BT, Ford J, et al. Evaluation of investigations conducted to detect and prevent transmission of tuberculosis. JAMA. 2002;287:991–995
  22. Kwanjana IH, Harries AD, Hargreaves NJ, Van Gorkom J, Ringdal T, Salaniponi FM. Sputum-smear examination in patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Malawi. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2000;94:395–398
  23. Schmidek HH, Hardy MA. Pulmonary tuberculosis with normal chest radiographs: report of eight cases. Can Med Assoc J. 1967;97:178–180
  24. Husen L, Fulkerson LL, Del Vecchio E, Zack MB, Stein E. Pulmonary tuberculosis with negative findings on chest X-ray films: a study of 40 cases. Chest. 1971;60:540–542
  25. Miller WT, MacGregor RR. Tuberculosis: frequency of unusual radiographic findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1978;130:867–875
  26. Pepper T, Joseph P, Mwenya C, McKee GS, Haushalter A, Carter A, et al. Normal chest radiography in pulmonary tuberculosis: implications for obtaining respiratory specimen cultures. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2008;12:397–403
  27. Perlman DC, el-Sadr WM, Nelson ET, Matts JP, Telzak EE, Salomon N, et al. Variation of chest radiographic patterns in pulmonary tuberculosis by degree of human immunodeficiency virus-related immunosuppression. The Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS (CPCRA). The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). Clin Infect Dis. 1997;25:242–246
  28. Palmieri F, Girardi E, Pellicelli AM, Rianda A, Bordi E, Rizzi EB, et al. Pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients presenting with normal chest radiograph and negative sputum smear. Infection. 2002;30:68–74
  29. Post FA, Wood R, Pillay GP. Pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV infection: radiographic appearance is related to CD4+ T-lymphocyte count. Tuber Lung Dis. 1995;76:518–521
  30. Swaminathan S, Paramasivan CN, Kumar SR, Mohan V, Venkatesan P. Unrecognised tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients: sputum culture is a useful tool. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2004;8:896–898
  31. Greenberg SD, Frager D, Suster B, Walker S, Stavropoulos C, Rothpearl A. Active pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with AIDS: spectrum of radiographic findings (including a normal appearance). Radiology. 1994;193:115–119
  32. Long R, Maycher B, Scalcini M, Manfreda J. The chest roentgenogram in pulmonary tuberculosis patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Chest. 1991;99:123–127
  33. Aderaye G, Bruchfeld J, Assefa G, Feleke D, Källenius G, Baat M, et al. The relationship between disease pattern and disease burden by chest radiography, M. tuberculosis load, and HIV status in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Addis Ababa. Infection. 2004;32:333–338
  34. FitzGerald JM, Grzybowski S, Allen EA. The impact of human immunodeficiency virus infection on tuberculosis and its control. Chest. 1991;100:191–200
  35. Pitchenik AE, Rubinson HA. The radiographic appearance of tuberculosis in patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and pre-AIDS. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1985;131:393–396
  36. Pedro-Botet J, Gutierrez J, Miralles R, Coll J, Rubies-Prat J. Pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients with normal chest radiographs. AIDS. 1992;6:91–93
  37. Pablos-Mendez A, Sterling TR, Frieden TR. The relationship between delayed or incomplete treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with tuberculosis. JAMA. 1996;276:1223–1228
  38. Leung AN. Pulmonary tuberculosis: the essentials. Radiology. 1999;210:307–322
  39. Leung AN, Brauner MW, Gamsu G, Mlika-Cabanne N, Ben Romdhane H, Carette MF, et al. Pulmonary tuberculosis: comparison of CT findings in HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative patients. Radiology. 1996;198:687–691
  40. Kramer F, Modilevsky T, Waliany AR, Leedom JM, Barnes PF. Delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Am J Med. 1990;89:451–456
  41. Marciniuk DD, McNab BD, Martin WT, Hoeppner VH. Detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with a normal chest radiograph. Chest. 1999;115:445–452
  42. Small PM, Hopewell PC, Schecter GF, Chaisson RE, Goodman PC. Evolution of chest radiographs in treated patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV infection. J Thorac Imaging. 1994;9:74–77
  43. Barnes PF, Verdegem TD, Vachon LA, Leedom JM, Overturf GD. Chest roentgenogram in pulmonary tuberculosis. New data on an old test. Chest. 1988;94:316–320
  44. Choyke PL, Sostman HD, Curtis AM, Ravin CE, Chen JT, Godwin JD, et al. Adult-onset pulmonary tuberculosis. Radiology. 1983;148:357–362
  45. Gatner EM, Burkhardt KR. Correlation of the results of X-ray and sputum culture in tuberculosis prevalence surveys. Tubercle. 1980;61:27–31
  46. Hadlock FP, Park SK, Awe RJ, Rivera M. Unusual radiographic findings in adult pulmonary tuberculosis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1980;134:1015–1018
  47. Korzeniewska-Kosela M, Krysl J, Mäller N, Black W, Allen E, FitzGerald JM. Tuberculosis in young adults and the elderly. A prospective comparison study. Chest. 1994;106:28–32
  48. Miller WT. Tuberculosis in the normal host: radiological findings. Semin Roentgenol. 1993;28:109–118
  49. Woodring JH, Vandiviere HM, Fried AM, Dillon ML, Williams TD, Melvin IG. Update: the radiographic features of pulmonary tuberculosis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1986;146:497–506
  50. Elliott AM, Namaambo K, Allen BW, Luo N, Hayes RJ, Pobee JO, et al. Negative sputum smear results in HIV-positive patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Lusaka, Zambia. Tuber Lung Dis. 1993;74:191–194
  51. Hernandez-Garduno E, Cook V, Kunimoto D, Elwood RK, Black WA, FitzGerald JM. Transmission of tuberculosis from smear negative patients: a molecular epidemiology study. Thorax. 2004;59:286–290
  52. Behr MA, Warren SA, Salamon H, Hopewell PC, Ponce de Leon A, Daley CL, et al. Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from patients smear-negative for acid-fast bacilli. Lancet. 1999;353:444–449
  53. Tudo G, Gonzalez-Martin J, Obama R, Rodriguez JM, Franco JR, Espasa M, et al. Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in the Bata and Malabo districts of Equatorial Guinea. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2004;8:1458–1463
  54. Grzybowski S, Allen EA. The challenge of tuberculosis in decline. A study based on the epidemiology of tuberculosis in Ontario, Canada. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1964;90:707–720
  55. Rose CE, Zerbe GO, Lantz SO, Bailey WC. Establishing priority during investigation of tuberculosis contacts. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1979;119:603–609
  56. Baydur A. The spectrum of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. West J Med. 1977;126:253–262
  57. Jensen PA, Lambert LA, Iademarco MF, Ridzon R. Guidelines for preventing the transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in health-care settings, 2005. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005;54(RR-17):1–141
  58. Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, (Eds.), Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases 6th edition. Philadelphia: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005, p. 1329–1330.
  59. Saral Y, Coskun BK, Ozturk P, Bulut Y, Cobanoglu B. Multiple metastatic tuberculosis abscesses in a patient with Pott disease and lung tuberculosis: a case report. J Cutan Pathol. 2005;32:629–633
  60. Bennink R, Drieskens O, Drieskens L, Kebooms L. Tc-99m tetrofosmin uptake in pulmonary tuberculosis with Pott's disease. Clin Nucl Med. 1998;23:851–853
  61. Park HS, Song YJ. Multiple tuberculoma involving the brain and spinal cord in a patient with miliary pulmonary tuberculosis. J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2008;44:36–39
  62. Leibert E, Schluger NW, Bonk S, Rom WN. Spinal tuberculosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection: clinical presentation, therapy and outcome. Tuber Lung Dis. 1996;77:329–334
  63. Alame T, Dierckx P, Ninane V, Sergysels R. Spinal tuberculosis: a report of five cases and a review. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 1996;51:362–368
  64. Marcq M, Sharma OP. Tuberculosis of the spine: a reminder. Chest. 1973;63:403–408
  65. Dass B, Puet TA, Watanakunakorn C. Tuberculosis of the spine (Pott's disease) presenting as ‘compression fractures’. Spinal cord. 2002;40:604–608
  66. Luo L, Pino J. An intradural extramedullary tuberculoma of the spinal cord in a non-HIV-infected patient: case report and review of the literature. Lung. 2006;184:187–193
  67. Wurtz R, Quader Z, Simon D, Langer B. Cervical tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis: case report and discussion of the literature. Clin Infect Dis. 1993;16:806–808
  68. Mann K. Lung lesions in skeletal tuberculosis: review of 500 cases. Lancet. 1946;248:744
  69. Dobson J. Tuberculosis of the spine: an analysis of the results of conservative treatment and of the factors influencing the prognosis. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1951;33B:517–531
  70. Pertuiset E, Beaudreuil J, Liote F, Horusitzky A, Kemiche F, Richette P, et al. Spinal tuberculosis in adults. A study of 103 cases in a developed country, 1980–1994. Medicine (Baltimore). 1999;78:309–320
  71. Ramdurg SR, Gupta DK, Suri A, Sharma BS, Mahapatra AK. Spinal intramedullary tuberculosis: a series of 15 cases. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2009;111:115–118
  72. Kumar K, Saxena MB. Multifocal osteoarticular tuberculosis. Int Orthop. 1988;12:135–138
  73. Khorvash F, Javadi AA, Izadi M, Jafari NJ, Ranjbar R. Spinal tuberculosis: a major public health hazard in Isfahan. Pakistan J Biol Sci. 2007;10:3400–3404
  74. Chung SM, Kim NH, Kim YA, Kang ES, Park BM. Clinical studies of tuberculosis of the spine. Yonsei Med J. 1978;19:96–104
  75. Ikem IC, Bamgboye EA, Olasinde AA. Spinal tuberculosis: a 15 year review at OAUTHC Ile-Ife. Nigerian Postgrad Med J. 2001;8:22–25
  76. Bahemuka M, Murungi JH. Tuberculosis of the nervous system. A clinical, radiological and pathological study of 39 consecutive cases in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. J Neurol Sci. 1989;90:67–76
  77. Sayi EN, Mlay SM. Tuberculosis of the spine in children at Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam. East Afr Med J. 1995;72:46–48
  78. Smith AD. Tuberculosis of the spine. Results in 70 cases treated at the New York Orthopaedic Hospital from 1945 to 1960. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1968;58:171–176
  79. Omari B, Robertson JM, Nelson RJ, Chiu LC. Pott's disease. A resurgent challenge to the thoracic surgeon. Chest. 1989;95:145–150
  80. Alvarez S, McCabe WR. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis revisited: a review of experience at Boston City and other hospitals. Medicine (Baltimore). 1984;63:25–55
  81. Lafond EM. An analysis of adult skeletal tuberculosis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1958;40–A:346–364

PII: S1201-9712(10)00021-4

doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2009.11.009

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 14, Issue 8 , Pages e659-e666 , August 2010

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution