ArticleCureus2025
Acute Pyogenic Ankle Monoarthritis Due to Tuberculosis: A Real-Life Clinical Conundrum.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Musculoskeletal tuberculosis (TB) usually involves the spine, hip, or knee. Ankle disease is rare and can present insidiously, which contributes to delayed diagnosis and poor outcomes. We report a case of an 86-year-old Chinese woman who presented with acute pain and swelling of her left ankle for two days, fevers and inability to bear weight. Past medical history included ischemic heart disease, congestive cardiac failure and recurrent urinary tract infections. Examination revealed a fever of 39.5°C and a tender, swollen ankle with restricted movement. Laboratory tests showed anaemia, lymphopenia and elevated C-reactive protein. Ankle X-ray was unremarkable. Joint aspiration yielded pus, but cultures were negative. Despite intravenous antibiotics, her symptoms persisted. MRI demonstrated marked ankle synovitis, and joint washout revealed pus around the ankle and flexor tendons. She subsequently became hypoxic, and chest imaging suggested possible miliary TB. Retrospective analysis of the aspirate confirmed acid-fast bacilli and TB polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity. Anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT) was commenced, but the patient deteriorated and died on day 19 of admission. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge of ankle TB, which may present acutely and mimic septic arthritis. Delayed recognition contributes to poor outcomes, and pulmonary involvement can provide important diagnostic clues. TB should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute monoarthritis, particularly in high-risk individuals. Early recognition and prompt initiation of therapy are critical to improving patient outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.