differential diagnosis
Last reviewed 01/2018
As tuberculosis is rare in the developed world, diagnosis of tuberculous arthritis is often made late.
It is mainly to be distinguished from rheumatoid arthritis, principally, on the basis of:
- synovial thickening
- muscle wasting
- periarticular osteoporosis
- a long history and the involvement of a single joint, most often in the spine.
- positive Mantoux test