Clinical and diagnostic features of trochanteric tuberculosis.

Trochanteric tuberculosis is a very rare localization of musculo-skeletal tuberculosis. The diagnosis is difficult and is often made in a late stage. The authors describe five cases of trochanteric tuberculosis. The mean age of patients was 46.6 years. Time to diagnosis was long (7.6 months on average). The tuberculosis was plurifocal in all cases. Diagnosis was based on positive Lowenstein culture in one case, on the presence of caseum granuloma in one case and through a pathognommonic manifestation in one case. For the remaining two cases, diagnosis was established on clinical and paraclinical arguments. The patients recovered after medical treatment alone.