Radionuclide bone imaging in skeletal tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient infective disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The transmission is mainly through naso-oral route. It is one of the most common infectious diseases, and nearly 30 million people are affected all over the world. Of these, 95 % are found in developing countries, highlighting the environmental role in the development of the disease. However, after 1985, even affluent countries have been witnessing escalation in the incidence of TB by 10-30 % annually (Weaver and Lifeso 1984). By the beginning of the twentieth century, TB was the leading cause of death in Western society (Farer et al. 1979; Leff et al. 1979). Three related organisms, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium africanum, and Mycobacterium bovis, are the causes of TB. Of these three organisms, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most common bacteria causing TB. Mycobacterium africanum is rarely found outside of northwestern Africa, and the disease due to Mycobacterium bovis is limited in developed countries by the widespread practice of pasteurization of milk (Reichman and Hershfield 1993).