Pott's disease is a vertebral infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Indolent nature and subacute course are associated with late diagnosis. A clinical case is presented whose diagnosis was delayed by atypical presentation with progressive worsening of symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the dorsolumbar spine revealed T7-T8 angulation suggestive of secondary injury, with intracanalar extension and spinal cord compression. Gastric aspirate cultures, direct microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were A 79-yearold female came to the emergency department with right back pain, pleuritic, with 12 h of evolution. Anorexia and weight loss,1 month evolution. Computed tomography (CT) of the dorsal spine revealed T7-T8 lytic lesions, suggestive of secondary nature. Objectively:weight loss and pain during thoracic palpation. Annalistically: normocytic/normochromic anemia, hypercalcemia, hepatic cholestasis, C-reactive protein (CRP) 7.12 mg/dL. Chest X-ray and electrocardiogram without alterations. She was admitted in Internal Medicine service. Analytically: hypophosphatemia, parathyroid hormone elevated, CRP 6 mg/dL, Beta-2 microglobulin elevated, dyslipidemia, iron and folicacid deficiency.negative for M. tuberculosis. T8 aspiration CT guided: cultures/direct microscopy negative, PCR positive for M. tuberculosis. Introductionof antitubercular drugs. Worsening of symptomatology, with paraparesia. MRI of the dorsal spine revealed spondylodiscitis and spinal cordcompression in T7-T8. Diagnosis revealed vertebral tuberculosis with spinal cord compression. She was transferred to neurosurgery servicefor surgical treatment. There was clinical and analytical improvement. Draws attention to difficulty in diagnose a treatable disease in a patientwith a rare presentation.
Keywords: Antitubercular drugs; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; latent tuberculosis infection; spinal cord compression.