Early manifestation of Pott’s disease in a 3-year-old child: Case Report

Pott’s disease is an extra-pulmonary manifestation of TB described in 1779 by Percivall Pott, which is the most common form of skeletal TB, particularly in children. The manifestation leads to bony destruction, characterized by back pain, fever, anorexia, night sweats, weight loss, and paraparesis, in very low progression. In this case, a 3-year-old boy with an alternating gait pattern and pain in his lower leg when walking more than 100 meters, walking slightly bent over. A bony protrusion was slightly palpated in the thoracic area, and Mantoux test results were positive. A thorax X-ray revealed a paravertebral mass, and an MRI showed multiple-level vertebral body disintegration on thoracic 7 and thoracic 8 with a paravertebral abscess in the thoracic area. The patient is receiving conservative treatment, including TB drugs, thoracolumbar orthosis, and calcium. It is important to recognize early symptoms of spinal tuberculosis in children to prevent the deterioration of neurological status and kyphotic deformity. In these cases, a slight alteration in walking pattern without concomitant symptoms or significant laboratory findings yields significant changes on MRI. Early diagnosis might yield better results with conservative management. The conclusion of these cases is that the most prevalent type of skeletal tuberculosis is Pott's disease, and the incidence in youngsters varies. The majority of patients presented with anorexia, fever, night sweats, weight loss, rachialgia, and paraplegia. Early discovery of the disease's mild signs may help to stop its progression.