Pune: Rare case of total recovery, spinal TB patient walks again after a month-long paraplegia

Pune, June 10, 2020: In a rare case of total recovery from paraplegia, a 60-year-old from Pune has started walking again after having been affected by spinal tuberculosis that eventually led to a total loss of nerve sensations in her lower body.

Savita Harale experienced first pain in her back around three months ago. “While doing my routine work in the kitchen, I lost my balance and I fell on the floor. This happened on some day in mid-January. Post this, my condition deteriorated. In two weeks’ time, I was unable to walk and I was unable to do my daily task on my own.”

Her family consulted the family doctor. The doctor suggested that it might be arthritis. But when medication did not help in improving the condition, the family consulted doctors at Sancheti hospital. “When she came to us, she had lost her power in her leg. She had stopped walking. There was a weakness in her lower limbs. When we investigated at that time we revealed that it was not only osteoporotic fracture but we saw some signs of infection in the spine. We were not sure if it was a tubercular or a non-tubercular infection,” said Dr Shailesh Hadgaonkar, consultant orthopaedic spine surgeon at Sancheti Hospital.

Spinal TB is often misdiagnosed as arthritis. Experts point out the need to spot correct symptoms. In this case, before the infection was sent for testing doctors saw many symptoms which are seen in TB patients. Doctors observed that she lost her weight and appetite, she used to wake up from deep sleep because of excruciating pain and she gradually lost her control on bowel movement.

“We saw some symptoms which were indicating that it is spinal TB. The spine was completely compressed. We planned surgical treatment. We did complete decompression of the spinal nerve and removed the pus. When we tested this pus, it came positive for TB bacteria”, he added.

“The abscess due to TB bacteria grew and caused compression on the spinal cord. The growth of the abscess led to nerve compression and affected the lower half of her body,” said Hadgaonkar.

“I was operated on March 11. Post my operation I was offered a physiotherapy treatment for about a month. Now, I am happy that I am able to do my daily task without being dependant on anybody. Also, I am able to walk without any support”, said Savita.

India contributed to around 23 percent of the global TB burden. The incidence of extrapulmonary TB is three percent. Skeletal TB contributes to around 10 percent in these three percent. Experts said that spinal TB with paraplegia is a rare case. Experts mention that patients who have paraplegia for a month with spinal TB find it hard to start walking again.

“Spinal TB with paraplegia is a rare case. Skills of a surgeon while operating on the case also play a major role in the recovery of the patient,” said Dr Sriniwas Shintre, Professor and Head of Department at B J Medical College said.