Pott's Disease Resulting in Complete Cervical Vertebral Destruction

Skeletal tuberculosis, otherwise known as Pott's disease, has been recognized for centuries. Although typically diagnosed in citizens from countries with endemic tuberculosis, long-term workers in these regions, such as military deployees, can also acquire the disease. We present a case report of a military veteran presenting with neck pain and initially diagnosed with cervical disc disease. The patient's pain progressed to the point of developing paresthesias in his bilateral upper extremities. Eventually, cervical spine radiographs were obtained that revealed complete cervical vertebral body destruction from spinal tuberculosis. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the disorder are discussed.