dactylitis

Tuberculosis of musculoskeletal system is most common manifested as tuberculosis of spinal cord (tubercular spondylitis) followed by joint diseases affecting hip, knee, wrist and elbow in the descending order. Tubercular involvement of small bones of hands and feet is known as tubercular dactylitis. It is a rare from of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, causing spindle shaped expansion of short tubular bones due to granuloma formation thereby named as spina ventosa. We, hereby present a case of nine year old male child who presented with acute painful swelling with pathological fracture of right ring finger later diagnosed as tubercular dactylitis on histopathology.