Spinal tuberculosis: A case series and a literature review

BACKGROUND: Spinal tuberculosis (TB) is a common form of extrapulmonary TB. Although the first line of the treatment is anti-TB medications, patients with severe neurological deficits, spinal instability, and/or kyphotic deformity often warrant surgery. Here, we report five cases of spinal TB requiring operative intervention at Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia. CASE DESCRIPTION: We operated on five patients with spinal TB cases from 2019 to October 2021. In addition to appropriate medical management, all five patients successfully underwent laminectomy with or without posterior stabilization. CONCLUSION: It is essential to establish the diagnosis and surgically manage patients with spinal TB early in the clinical course to minimize residual post-operative neurological deficits.