Case of Pott’s Disease in a 17-Year-Old Patient in the Dominican Republic

Pott’s disease, or spinal tuberculosis, is caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although tuberculosis is endemic in developing countries, such as Dominican Republic, Pott’s disease is rarely seen, only representing 1% of the total cases. Due to its low incidence, this could be easily misdiagnosed. We report a case of a 17-year-old male with a history of pleural effusion that presented with severe back pain. Several imaging studies reported an aggressive paravertebral neoplasia at the thoracic levels. A surgical biopsy was performed, and the procedure revealed bone fragmentation, which prompted the need to rule out Pott’s disease per current recommendations. Biopsy and subsequent positive QuantiFERON-TB Gold test confirmed spinal tuberculosis.