ABSTRACT
The statement, ‘Children are not miniature adults’, is true in spinal tuberculosis (TB) also. Spinal TB in children differs from that of adults in many ways. Children generally have a paucibacillary disease but have a higher propensity to progress from infection to disease because of their low immunity. The clinical manifestation of spinal TB depends on the duration of the disease, its severity, and associated complications. A variety of investigations, including histopathological, microbiological, immunological, and imaging, are used in the diagnosis of TB; however the gold standard for confirmation of TB is the growth of mycobacterium in culture specimens obtained from infective foci. A spectrum of laboratory investigations is available to aid in diagnosing, confirming, and monitoring therapy with variable sensitivity and specificity. Children metabolise drugs faster, and the serum concentration of drugs is much less when compared to adults and, therefore, require higher body weight dose.
