Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of articular tuberculosis (n = 6)
| Case | Age (years)/gender | Underlying diseases | Previous history of TB | Clinical symptoms of joints | Duration (months) | Other sites of TB | Articular X-ray/MRI/CT | T-SPOT.TB (SFCs/106 MC) | Classification of TB diagnosis | Examination of synovial fluid | Histopathology of synovium of the involved joint | Anti-TB Treatment | Outcome | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PBMC | Synovial fluid | Puncture site | Appearance | Leukocyte | Erythrocyte | Acid-fast Bacilli stain | Fast mycobacterium culture | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 54/female | SLE | No | Swelling and pain of right knee, with movement disorder | 6 | Lung | Multiple cartilage thinning of right knee, hematocele in right knee articular cavity and suprapatellar bursa | 120 | 620 | Confirmed | Right knee | Yellowish-brown and muddy | Full view | 15-20/HPF | Negative | – | – | Yes | Improved |
| 2 | 29/female | No | No | Swelling and pain of right knee, with movement disorder | 60 | Lung | Diffused synovium lesions in right knee with multiple bone erosions, effusion of right knee | 1700 | 2000 | Probable | Right knee | – | – | – | – | – | Epithelioid cell granulomas, fibrinoid necrosis, chronic inflammation of synovium, acid-fast Bacilli stain negative | Yes | Improved |
| 3 | 44/female | No | No | Redness, swelling, pain and increased skin temperature of right knee, with movement disorder | 72 | No | Diffused and irregular synovium thickening of right knee, effusion of right knee | 2092 | 272 | Possible | Right knee | Yellow and muddy | 8-10/HPF | 10-15/HPF | Negative | – | Chronic inflammation, with proliferation of fibrous tissue and hyaline degeneration, acid-fast Bacilli stain negative | Yes | Improved |
| 4 | 46/male | No | No | Swelling and pain of left knee, with movement disorder | 10 | No | Normal | 0 | 296 | Possible | Right knee | Light yellow and muddy | 10-20/HPF | 20-30/HPF | Negative | Negative | Acute and chronic inflammation, with proliferation of fibrous tissue and vessels, acid-fast Bacilli stain negative | Yes | Improved |
| 5 | 19/female | RA | No | Swelling and pain of right knee, with movement disorder | 24 | No | Narrowing of right knee joint space with effusion, synovium thickening, and bone erosions | 64 | 80 | Possible | Right knee | – | – | – | Negative | Negative | Chronic inflammation, with proliferation of lymphoid tissue and small vessels, acid-fast Bacilli stain negative | Yes | Improved |
| 6 | 37/male | No | No | Swelling and pain of right knee | 9 | No | Effusion of right knee cavity | 0 | 0 | Possible | Right knee | – | – | – | Negative | Negative | Acute and chronic inflammation, exudation of necrosis were observed | Yes | Improved |
SLE: Systemic lupus erythematosus; RA: Rheumatic arthritis; HPF: High power field; –: Not available; MC: Mononuclear cells; MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging; CT: Computed tomography; TB: Tuberculosis; SFCs: Spotforming cells.