Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16397080›Full record

ArticlePostgraduate medical journal2006

Current difficulties in the diagnosis and management of spinal tuberculosis.

L Cormican, R Hammal, J Messenger, H J Milburn

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Postgraduate medical journal, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
44citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.2field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

44 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 130 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Recommendations for the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2016
    Guideline
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Differences analysis between spinal tuberculosis and brucella spondylitis with preoperative non-invasive differential diagnosis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025
    Article
  7. Review
  8. Tuberculosis of the spine.World journal of orthopedics · 2023
    Review
  9. Tuberculous Spondylodiscitis with Epidural Spread.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2023
    Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Challenges and controversies in the treatment of spinal tuberculosis.Journal of clinical tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases · 2020
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

L CormicanDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Hospitals Trust, London, UK. liam.cormican@kingsch.nhs.co.uk
R Hammal
J Messenger
H J Milburn
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis (ST) is difficult and it commonly presents at an advanced stage. The management and follow up is complicated by a lack of guidance on the appropriate use and interpretation of spinal magnetic resonance studies (MR).

aimsA retrospective study was performed at a UK centre to identify the demographic and presenting features of a spinal TB population, their response to treatment, and the value of follow up MR studies. PATIENTS AND

resultsTwenty one patients were identified with mean symptom duration of 11 (1.5-36) months having been assessed by a health practitioner on 3.2 (0-10) occasions before referral for investigation for ST. Twenty were born outside the UK. Their mean duration of residence in the UK was 6.67 (0.75-20) years, and six (32%) were resident for more than 10 years. Most (85.7%) did not have a medical history and one was HIV positive. Back pain, neurological, and constitutional symptoms were found in 100%, 29%, and 38% respectively. Musculoskeletal and neurological signs were found in 29% and 19% respectively. Spinal MR performed between 6 and 12 months suggests that six months of chemotherapy (for a fully sensitive organism) may not be sufficient to achieve disease resolution.

conclusionsAwareness of the demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of an ST population may facilitate earlier diagnosis. Guidance is required on the appropriate use and interpretation of MRI in the follow up of these patients.

Indexed as

AdultAntitubercular AgentsBiopsy, NeedleFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSputumTuberculosis, SpinalAntitubercular Agents

Identifiers

PMID16397080
PMCPMC2563723
OpenAlexW2102477228

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.