SKELETAL TUBERCULOSIS - DACTYLITIS AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE SKULL

A re-emergence of tuberculosis (TB) is occurring world wide in both de veloped and developing countries. The clinical picture caused by infec tion with M. tuberculosis may simulate many other disease entities and may result in unnecessary investigations with a delay in diagnosis an d treatment. Skeletal TB tends to be isolated to one anatomical site, We report a 6-year-old boy with disseminated skeletal TB with dactylit is resembling sickle cell anaemia and lytic lesions similar to those w hich are often seen in neuroblastoma, Langerhans' cell histiocytosis a nd leukaemia. The clinician should be aware that TB can mimic almost a ny disease and recognise the radiographic appearances of skeletal tube rculous lesions.