Case Report: Suspicions of metastasis in a patient with transitional cell carcinoma were revealed to be spinal tuberculosis

Background: Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major causes of mortality in developing countries. TB is primarily a lung disease, but can affect almost every organ of the body. Skeletal TB involves the bones or joints. In this report, we will introduce a patient with a medical history of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder that presented with spinal tuberculosis (Pott's disease). Case Report: The patient was a 74-year-old man with medical history of TCC of the bladder who had come to hospital due to severe weakness and sprains of lower extremities. Other symptoms noted by the patient included anorexia, weight loss (of 5 kg), and night sweats, but he did not complain of fever, coughs or respiratory symptoms. The lab data were as follows: WBC, 16/9*103; ESR, 88 mm/hr; CRP, 78mg/dl. Radiology findings revealed degenerative process in the L2-L3 lumbar vertebrae and disk. PCR and sample tissue culture results showed the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Conclusion: In the lesions of the lumbar vertebrae, even if there is another underlying disease, spinal TB should also be considered as a possibility. Furthermore, in patients with any type of cancer, any other organ conflict is not considered as metastasis, and tissue sampling should be provided because a change in the type of disease can influence prognosis.