Tuberculosis of the shoulder joint is now a clinical rarity.
In the moist form, commonest in the first two decades of life, the shoulder is swollen and there is copious pus exuded from sinuses. Fibrous ankylosis can develop.
The patient complains of a chronic, constant ache, stiffness and limitation of movement. The muscles around the shoulder may show atrophy and within the axilla, there may be prominent lymphadenopathy.
In the dry form - caries sicca - there is a slower degeneration in typically older patients. Pus formation is minimal.
Treatment is with the standard anti-tuberculous regimen complimented by arthrodesis if joint destruction is pronounced.
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