Publication:

Tuberculosis of the talus in a 2-year-old: a diagnostic dilemma

Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis involving the ankle and foot is a rare entity with its prevalence being ever rarer in the pediatric population. Here, we report the case of a two-year-old female child who presented with a gradually progressive non-traumatic swelling involving the right foot and ankle since two months. The patient was initially managed by a local doctor with immobilization of the foot and ankle in a slab for three weeks. Blood investigations were suggestive of an inflammatory process and a lytic lesion involving the talus was seen on radiographs. The patient was managed with debridement and curettage of the lesion along with anti-tubercular chemotherapy as per pediatric dosage for one year. The patient was asymptomatic at latest follow-up of one year and radiographs showed that lytic lesion had resolved.