Pott disease in a 13-month-old: Case report

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Tuberculosis (TB) is a common disease worldwide that is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB of the spine is the most common site of bony infection and is often referred to as Pott disease. To the best of our knowledge, our case represents the youngest patient with naturally acquired Pott disease in the United States. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 13-month-old boy presented with paraplegia and a known diagnosis of TB. His evaluation revealed a kyphotic gibbus deformity in the midthoracic region associated with severe spinal cord compression. The patient underwent urgent decompressive laminectomies, T2-T4 transpedicular corpectomies, placement of an anterior tibial strut graft, and posterior instrumentation with sublaminar wires and a Steinmann pin. At his 18-month follow-up, the patient was ambulating 5 steps at a time independently, and his kyphotic deformity showed no sign of progression. CONCLUSION: Pott disease can occur in very young children and presents a unique challenge when a patient presents with a neurological deficit and unstable deformity requiring surgical intervention.