Tuberculosis of the spine still remains an as important problems in Korea. There is much controversy over the advantage of indication for surgical versus medical treatment, and the correct answer prob￢ably lies between the two extremes. Recently focal debridement is widely accepted operation method, andmany reports dealing with this subject have been published.
Because of limited vacancy of the hospital and poor economy, a large group of patient with tubercu￢lous lesion in spine have been treated conservatively with anti-tuberculous medication and aspiration of abscess and immobilization by plaster shell etc.
Authors than attempted a clinical analysis on a patient-group (40 cases) treated at Pusan University
hospital and Pusan Children Charity hospital, and obtained the results as follows:
1. The kyphosis of the spine tends to be aggrevated with collapse of vertebra.
2. Kyphosis aggrevated in 67.5% of cases: 18.7 degree of increase in whom plaster jacket was
additionally applied, while 27.5 degree of increase in the cases without plaster. Time of aggrevation
of kyphosis after institution of treatment was variable as 3 to 18 months.´
3. Pathological reflexes were found in 16 cases, which were disappeared in 18 months after the
treatment.
4. Psoas abscess was completely absorbed in 3 rd to 9 th month after treatment by repeated aspiration with one month interval.
5. Regression of paravetebral abscess shadow on the X-ray film was observed very slowly from 2 nd month to 30 th month, mainly disppeared in 6 th month after conservative treatment.
6. Thirty four cases had back muscle spasm, paraparesis in the lower extremity with difficulty of walking, and recovered within 15 months with complete relief of back muscle spasm.
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