Tuberculous Tenosynovitis of the Elbow: A Case Report

Abstract

A 29-year-old man visited our clinic owing to a persistent swelling in the anterior part of the left elbow joint that began one year ago. Through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we observed tenosynovitis with multiple rice bodies, and so we performed an excisional biopsy and tenosynovectomy. Through pathology and culture tests, we identified tuberculosis in the tissue biopsy that we harvested intraoperatively. Following the anti-tuberculosis medication relieved the patient's symptoms without recurrence. Since tuberculosis of the elbow occurs only rarely, and the symptoms mimic those of rheumatoid synovitis or of non-specific chronic synovitis, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are often delayed. The authors report this rare case of tuberculous tenosynovitis of the elbow with a review of the relevant literature.