Peripheral osteoarticular tuberculosis in children: 106 case-reports.

Introduction: We retrospectively reviewed 106 pediatric cases of peripheral osteoarticular tuberculosis (OAT) seen over a 21-year period in Morocco. Patients with vertebral tuberculosis were excluded from the study.

Patients And Results: The 55 boys and 51 girls had a mean age of 8 years. The hip and knee together contributed 63% of the osteoarticular foci. Organ involvement was documented in 32 cases. Mean time from symptom onset to evaluation was 10 months. This resulted in diagnostic delay, which contributed to the 22% rate of residual abnormalities consisting of joint ankylosis and leg length inequality.

Conclusion: OAT is a source of functional disability that should be recognized and treated early, particularly in children, given that appropriate management can lead to a full recovery (14 patients in our series).