Tuberculous dactylitis

Tuberculous dactylitis is a skeletal manifestation of tuberculosis. It is one of the commonest bacterial osteitis. It affects children more often than adults. The first radiological description of the condition is credited to Feilchenfeld in 1896. The first histological description was given by Rankin in 1886. Multiple bones are involved in children and usually only a single bone is involved in adults suffering from tuberculous dactylitis. Tuberculous dactylitis affects the short tubular bones of the hands and feet in children. It often follows a mild course without fever and acute inflammatory signs as opposed to acute osteomyelitis. There may be a gap of a few months to 2 to 3 years from the time of initial infection to the point of diagnosis.