By Aisha Abdullahi Baba
It is a disease that causes the destruction collapse of vertebrae and angulation of vertebral column. The progression of the disease is slow and insidious (gradual and subtle, but with very harmful effects). The total duration varies from a few months to a few years, with average disease duration ranging from 4 to 11 months.
Causes
• Overcrowding
• Malnutrition
• HIV infection
• Drug abuse
• Alcoholism
• Diabetes mellitus, etc.
There is also a theory that humans can become infected through consumption of unpasteurized milk products from infected cows.
Symptoms
• Local pain
• Local tenderness
• Stiffness and muscle spasm
• A cold abscess (painful collection of pus)
• Gibbous (a structural curve type typically found in the upper lumbar and
lower thoracic vertebrae)
• A prominent spinal deformity, etc.
Treatment
A combination of rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide for two months followed by combination of rifampicin and isoniazid for a total period of 6 to 18 months is the most frequent treatment for spinal tuberculosis.
Aisha Abdullahi Baba is of Great Heights Academy, Abuja
