User:Clauf20/Pott's disease

Epidemiology
Half of the cases of musculoskeletal tuberculosis are Pott's Disease, of which 98% affect the anterior column. The disease can be attributed to 1.3 million deaths per year. There is a correlation between tuberculosis infections and cases of Pott's disease, as it's prevalent in areas where tuberculosis infections are common. Factors like socioeconomic status, habits, medical history, and interactions with people with tuberculosis can influence the rate of diagnosis.

Underdeveloped countries have a higher incidence rate of Pott's disease as it's associated with less ventilated rooms, crowded spaces, poorer hygiene , and less access to healthcare facilities. Increasing food security, reducing poverty, and improving living and working conditions will help to prevent infection and generally enhance the care of those sick.

Pott's disease is more common in the working-age population, but it should be noted that it is becoming increasingly prevalent in older adults due to increased life expectancies, increased immunosuppressant use, chronic diseases like diabetes, and a rise in drug-resistant tuberculosis strains. In older populations, the disease is often misdiagnosed, often being disregarded for other degenerative diseases. Children's spines contain more cartilage, increasing the effect of spinal deformations caused by the disease.

Multidrug resistant tuberculosis poses a threat to people with Pott's disease, making it difficult to determine infection in people because of the paucibacillary symptoms of the disease. Cases of tuberculosis have been on the decline; however, infections of multidrug resistant tuberculosis have remained constant since the 1990s.