POTT'S DISEASE

also called Tuberculous Spondylitis, or Tuberculosis Of The Spine, tubercular disease characterized by softening and collapse of the vertebrae, often resulting in a hunchback deformity. The condition is named after an English surgeon, Sir Percivall Pott, who described it in a monograph published in 1779. The infection begins in the body of the vertebra (the most common site of bone tuberculosis) and spreads slowly to contiguous structures. Abscesses may form, migrate, and cause pain in sites quite distant from the spine. Occasionally, the spinal nerves are affected, and a rigid paralysis may result. Affected persons complain of pain on movement and tend to assume a protective, stiff position. The course of the disease is slow, lasting months or years. Treatment includes chemotherapy against the tuberculosis bacilli and orthopedic care of the spinal column.