A Case of Tuberculous Osteomyelitis of the

Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) includes asymptomatic primary infection, progressive pulmonary TB and extra-pulmonary disease. Skeletal TB occurs in 1-6% of the extra-pulmonary cases commonly involving spine (50-65%), hip and knee joints[1]. Primary TB involving sternum is uncommon often causing a delay in clinical suspicion and diagnosis[2, 3]. We report a 5 year-old with primary sternal tuberculous osteomyelitis presenting late with discharging sinus. A 5-year-old girl from poor socio-economic status presented with increasing dull-aching pain and discharge from a non-traumatic ulceration on the anterior chest wall over the body of sternum for the last 3 months along with low grade fever and reduced appetite. She had been previously treated as pyogenic osteomyelitis but the swelling progressed to ulcerate. She had contact with her neighbor having sputum positive pulmonary TB on anti-tubercular drugs for the last 4 months.