Tuberculous osteomyelitis of the midfoot in the absence of a pulmonary lesion: A case report

A 57-year-old Somalian woman presented to the podiatry clinic in 2001, 9 years after immigrating to the United States, with a complaint of right foot pain overlying the Lisfranc joint after a twisting injury. Radiographs and CT scans showed no signs of fracture. One year later, the patient presented with painful, swollen soft tissues mass overlying the previous injury area. MRI revealed heterogeneous masses with underlying bony erosions. Soft tissue biopsy revealed a granulomatous lesion, suspect for Mycobacterium. A subsequent bone biopsy produced an acid-fast bacillus by DNA-RNA probe consistent with Mycobacterium species. The patient had a positive Mantoux test, but a negative chest X-ray, displaying no constitutive symptoms of fatigue or weight loss associated with most cases of tuberculosis. She was treated with anti-tuberculin medications for 9 months and conservative management of the bony lesions with a complete resolution of symptoms.