Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients
| Characteristics | Articular TB (n =6) | Non-TB arthritis (n =14) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 41 (27–48) | 47 (28–56) |
| Gender, n | ||
| Male | 2 | 5 |
| Female | 4 | 9 |
| Duration (month), median (IQR) | 17 (8–63) | 12 (2–52) |
| HIV (+), n | 0 | 0 |
| Underlying diseases, n | 2 | 4 |
| Corticosteroids/immunosuppressant use, n | 3 | 7 |
| Lung TB, n | 2 | 1 |
| Previous history of TB, n | 0 | 2 |
| Radiography evidence of previous TB, n | 0 | 1 |
| Symptoms | ||
| Fever, n (%) | 4 | 6 |
| Peak temperature (°C), median (IQR) | 38.5 (37.6–39.5) | 38.2 (37.9–39.1) |
| Redness of the involved joint, n | 1 | 3 |
| Swelling of the involved joint, n | 6 | 13 |
| Increased skin temperature around the involved joint | 1 | 3 |
| Pain of the involved joint | 6 | 13 |
| Movement disorder of the involved joint | 5 | 8 |
| Joints involved, n | ||
| Knee | 6 | 11 |
| Ankle | 0 | 2 |
| Hip | 0 | 1 |
| Blood examination, median (IQR) | ||
| Leukocytes (×109/L) | 7.55 (5.31–11.04) | 7.61 (5.23–8.67) |
| Lymphocytes (×109/L) | 1.39 (1.14–1.81) | 1.67 (1.05–2.39) |
| ESR (mm/h) | 42 (33–88) | 64 (11–83) |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | 60.26 (16.80–84.89) | 20.32 (3.42–45.95) |
Duration: The course of the disease before definitive diagnosis was made. ESR: Erythrocyte sediment rate, normal range: male >15 mm/h, female >20 mm/h; hsCRP: Hypersensitive C-reactive protein, normal range: >3 mg/L; IQR: Interquartile range; TB: Tuberculosis.