Tuberculosis tenosynovitis with multiple rice bodies of the flexor tendons in the wrist: A case report.

INTRODUCTION

One of the infectious causes of wrist tenosynovitis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tendon sheath involvement is rare. Herein, we report the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with neglected wrist flexor tendon sheath tuberculosis.

PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report the diagnosis and treatment of a man aged 50 years with neglected wrist flexor tendon sheath tuberculosis.

DISCUSSION: In patients with tendon sheath involvement, symptoms are generally non-specific such as pain and swelling; therefore, it can be diagnosed late due to the lack of systemic symptoms. Wrist X-ray imaging in tenosynovitis may show soft tissue swelling and osteoporotic changes around the wrist joint. T2-weighted sequences in magnetic resonance imaging are more successful in supporting the diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

M. tuberculosis should be kept in mind as an infectious agent, especially in developing countries. In order to prevent any delay in diagnostic evaluation, all steps should be taken carefully.