Endoscopic Resection of Recalcitrant Tuberculous Bursitis of the Popliteal Fossa.

Tuberculosis of the musculoskeletal system is uncommon and constitutes 1% to 5% of all forms of tuberculosis. In total, 30% of skeletal tuberculosis involves the joints, the knee being the third most commonly affected after the spine and the hip. Knee tuberculosis commonly presents as synovitis or arthritis, and infected Baker's cyst is a rather rare presentation. It is believed to result from the propagation of tuberculosis of the knee joint into the cyst, as approximately one half of the Baker's cyst communicates with the knee joint and it appears as swelling in the medial aspect of the popliteal fossa. For tuberculous popliteal bursitis at the lateral aspect of the popliteal fossa, it may be an extra-articular extension of tuberculosis of the knee joint via the popliteal hiatus. Chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment; surgery is indicated in recalcitrant cases. In this Technical Note, the technical details of endoscopic resection of recalcitrant tuberculous bursitis at the lateral aspect of the popliteal fossa are described. This minimally invasive technique has the advantage of better cosmetic results and fewer wound complications and reduces the extent of surgical dissection as compared with open surgery.