Pott's disease

[pulkittt]

My mom 54 has been diagnosed with Potts disease. Initial 2 months post diagnosis were ok. But recently, she is been suffering from low grade fever again with loss of apetite and coughing. She is feeling the same which she used to feel before when she was diagnosed with Pott's disease. Her ESR, kidney and liver tests were ok.
The orthopedic says its ok and the general physician is not able to diagnose the  actual cause of the fever.
Can TB spread from spine to other parts of the body?
Is everything ok?

[pulkittt]

Thanks Doctor.

It was actually a seasonal fever then went away in 10-12 days. Now she's doing better and appetite has also gone up.

Wanted to ask if the back pain persists after 3 months of medication, though it's a mild pain.
And also is it advisable for her to join back to her office. She has started going to office and also wears a back support belt from 7AM - 5PM.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Spinal TB is usually paucibacillary and it is unlikely for it to spread to other parts of the body, though it is still a possibility. It is also unlikely since I assume she would have been on anti-tubercular therapy for this time. Her symptoms are more likely to be due to other reasons such as medication side effect, mild infections etc. I would suggest continuing with her medications and consulting an internist for a work-up of her symptoms.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!