PARAPLEGIA IN AN ELDERLY PATIENT DUE TO POTT'S DISEASE

Spinal tuberculosis (Pott's disease) is still an important problem in many countries and may result in severe neurological deficits. Pott's paraplegia can occur in the early period of the disease or many years later. Pott's disease usually occurs in the thoracic vertebrae and may cause neurological symptoms as a consequence of bone destruction and spinal cord compression. In this article, we present the case of a 73-year-old diagnosed with Pott's paraplegia who was referred to our clinic with back pain. He had been previously diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and had received anti-TB therapy. After five weeks of an intensive rehabilitation program, the patient could walk independently and was discharged with minimal dependency. We conclude that there should be more awareness of the possibility of non-traumatic spinal cord injuries in elderly patients.