Tuberculous cold abscess of sternoclavicular joint: a case report

Bone and joint tuberculosis is a serious medical problem; tuberculosis of sternoclavicular joint is rare. We present a case of a healthy 37-year old man with sternoclavicular joint tuberculosis. The subject presented with a three weeks history of left sternoclavicular joint painless swelling without fever or weight loss. He had no previous history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Laboratory testing revealed erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 70 mm/hour, C-reactive protein of 30 mg/liter and a normal leucocyte count. Biopsy of the lesion showed caseous necrosis and pus culture revealed Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He was treated with joint debridement and anti-tuberculous medications. Tuberculosis resolved completely but post-infection patients had residual joint arthritis. Tuberculosis may infect unusual joints such as the sternoclavicular joint.