ReviewEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2013
Establishing the diagnosis of tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis.
Review in 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, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 111 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk factors and a diagnostic nomogram for early prediction of gram-positive coccal etiology in spontaneous spinal infection.Infection · 2026Article
- A narrative review of our developing knowledge about paediatric spondylodiscitis based on existing literature.EFORT open reviews · 2026Review
- Epidural abscess signal (EAS) and vertebral body signal (VBS) scores: MRI-based quantitative tools for early differentiation of pyogenic and tuberculous spondylitis to reduce inappropriate empirical therapy.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Study on the pathological diagnostic value of spinal tuberculosis lesions with different submitting methods and tissue types.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Clinical, laboratory, and MRI features differentiating tuberculous and pyogenic spondylodiscitis: a propensity score-matched analysis.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2026Article
- Spinal infections.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Review
- Integration of single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing reveals divergent T-cell immune circuits and a shared osteo-immune pathway in spinal tuberculosis and brucellar spondylitis.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Skeletal Tuberculosis: Clinical and Radiological Profile, Management, and Outcomes in a Retrospective Study.Cureus · 2025Article
- Article
- Surgical correction of severe cervical kyphosis secondary to tuberculoid Pott's disease: illustrative case.Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · 2025Article
- Minimally invasive management of cervical spondylodiscitis. A multicenter experience.Neurosurgical review · 2025Observational
- Presumed tuberculosis spondylitis with sternal involvement.Radiology case reports · 2025Article
- Molecular mechanisms related to bone damage in spinal tuberculosis revealed by 4D-label-free proteomics analysis.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Article
- A Comparative Factor Analysis and New Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring System for Differentiating Pyogenic Versus Tuberculous Spondylodiscitis.Neurospine · 2024Article
- Higher Sensitivity of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra Over Tuberculosis Culture for the Diagnosis of Spinal Tuberculosis With Open or Computed Tomography-Guided Biopsies.Open forum infectious diseases · 2024Article
- A Novel Differentiation Nomogram Model for Brucellar Spondylitis and Tuberculous Spondylitis.Infection and drug resistance · 2024Article
- Laboratory diagnostics for primary spinal infections in pediatric and adult populations: a narrative review.North American Spine Society journal · 2023Article
- Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Children: A Forgotten Disease?Microorganisms · 2023Review
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Skipped Multifocal Spinal Tuberculosis Lesions.Orthopaedic surgery · 2023Review
- Pathogenesis, Diagnostic Challenges, and Risk Factors of Pott's Disease.Clinics and practice · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe aim of this article has been to analyze the clinical and radiological data suggesting tuberculous vertebral osteomielitis (TVO), and then discuss the steps to be followed to achieve an aetiological diagnosis.
methodsA thorough literature search was carried out to identify the best clinical and microbiological evidence for a fast and efficient diagnosis of TVO.
resultsThe clinical and radiological diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis suffers from serious limitations, with a high percentage of cases requiring vertebral biopsy to reach a definitive diagnosis. The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis has highlighted the insufficiency of the histopathological diagnosis and the need for microbiological diagnosis. Unfortunately, the maximum sensitivity of spinal tuberculosis cultures is 80 %, and traditional methods require 6 to 8 weeks for the isolation, identification and sensitivity study. New culture media and identification methods have improved sensitivity and reduced the time required for the identification. Molecular methods have now been integrated into a single test, with identification of the mycobacterium responsible and its sensitivity to rifampicin. Additionally, multiplex-PCR tests have been developed that allow a rapid differential diagnosis between granulomatous spondylodiscitis.
conclusionsAll patients with subacute inflammatory back or neck pain showing suggestive radiological findings should be studied to rule out TVO. If there is no clear evidence of tuberculosis from another location or indication for surgery, a percutaneous vertebral biopsy should be performed. When TVO is suspected, all spinal or paravertebral tissue samples should be sent simultaneously to pathology and microbiology laboratories for appropriate processing.
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