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A rare case of TB elbow synovitis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: a case report
Meryl Grace Lansing1, Malehah Mohd Noh2, Mohd Hakimi Nordin3.
Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) of the elbow joint is uncommon. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent joint destruction and preserve function. We present a case of TB synovitis of the elbow joint in a patient with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Case description: A 56-year-old woman with a known seropositive RA on metho-trexate and Leflunomide was seen in the outpatient rheumatology clinic as part of her monthly follow-up. She com-plained of persistent bilateral elbow pain and swelling, despite optimisation of her disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) and steroid therapy. The suspicion for another diagnosis for her elbow symptoms stems from the persistent pain and swelling amidst increased titration of methotrexate and prednisolone dosages. Ultrasound scan of her elbows revealed bilateral complex olecranon bursitis with active synovitis. The left elbow aspiration yielded cloudy yellowish synovial fluid and the sample was sent for fluid culture, acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain, and GeneXpert. No AFB was seen but the GeneXpert test confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Thus, a diagnosis of TB synovitis of the left elbow was made, and she was promptly started on anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) consisting of Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Ethambutol and Pyrazinamide with the aim to complete 9 months of ATT. Conclusion: The diagnosis of tuberculous synovitis is challenging. In the absence of constitutional or respiratory symptoms, joint TB is usually low on the initial differential diagnosis in patients presenting with joint pain and swelling. The diagnosis is made even more difficult in patients with concomitant rheumatoid arthritis. This case demonstrates the importance of a high index of suspicion for TB, particularly when evaluating patients in high TB prevalence area with an underlying immunosuppressive state.
Affiliation:
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Malaysia), Malaysia
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Indexation |
Indexed by |
MyJurnal (2021) |
H-Index
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3 |
Immediacy Index
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0.000 |
Rank |
0 |
Indexed by |
Scopus 2020 |
Impact Factor
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CiteScore (0.2) |
Rank |
Q4 (Medicine (all)) |
Additional Information |
SJR (0.144) |
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