[Value of different surgical techniques for sampling biopsy material in the diagnosis of tuberculous spondylitis].

Surgery biopsy was used to examine 133 patients admitted to hospital for suspected tuberculous spondylitis. The surgical biopsy diagnostic techniques involved biopsy of peripheral lymph nodes, paracentesis of abscesses, puncture and trephine biopsies of vertebral bodies, and open diagnostic vertebrotomy. Biopsy studies using surgical techniques verified the diagnoses of tuberculous spondylitis, vertebral tumors, and nonspecific vertebral osteomyelitis in 115, 8, and 10 patients, respectively. The patients' examination took 2 to 6 weeks. The use of surgical techniques for obtaining biopsy specimens could avoid diagnostic errors and reduce the time of a diagnostic examination.