Utility of CT scan for the diagnosis of chest wall tuberculosis

The objective of this study was to determine the utility of CT scan findings for the diagnosis of chest wall tuberculosis, excluding the spine. We reviewed 15 patients (13 Africans and 2 Indians) With chest wall tuberculosis, retrospectively. The radiologic examination consisted of a plain X-ray and a CT scan of the chest fur each patient. The site of disease was the rib in 13 patients or the body of the sternum in 2 patients. One rib was involved in II patients, 2 contiguous ribs (one site) in 2 patients, and bilateral disease (two sites) was observed in the remaining pa patient. The 14 rib sites involved the posterior are or costovertebral joint in II cases. the anterior are in 2 cases, and the anterior and middle are in 1 case. The CT scan findings were an abscess (n = 14) or a soft tissue mass (n = 2), osteolytic lesions (n = 13), periosteal reaction (n = 10), and sequestrum (n = 14). Bone sclerosis was observed only in 3 cases of rib involvement. The association of a soft tissue abscess, an osteolytic lesion, and sequestrum, especially in immigrants to France, suggests chest wall tuberculosis CT scan.