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Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The clinical features of tuberculous arthritis include:

  • pain, often at night
  • swelling due to synovial thickening
  • muscle wasting
  • limited movement in all directions
  • the joint may become fixed and deformed due to articular erosion
  • a cold abscess may form and point to the skin surface forming a chronic tuberculous sinus; the sinus provides a route of entry for secondary pyogenic infection
  • a positive Mantoux test and positive histology and culture from a synovial biopsy confirm the diagnosis

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