Abstract: Objective To research the clinical characters of the cases with multifocal osteoarticular tuberculosis (TB) . Methods We sumed up the data of cases with multifocal osteoarticular TB who were hospitalized from July 1987 to July 2003, and analyzed their clinical characters. Results Of 47 cases with multifocal osteoarticular TB that accounted for 3 % of all osteoarticular TB cases, there were 20 cases (42.6 % ) with spinal TB, 9 cases (19.2%) with joint TB, and 18 cases(38.3% )with spinal and joint TB. Two cases had a positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture result. The cases with multifocal osteoarticular TB were usually young and middle age. The spine and bear-weight large joints were the most frequently involved in TB. Conclusion The multifocal osteoarticular TB were divided into 3 types according to the lesion sites. It was the best means to diagnose the multifocal osteoarticular TB by using several imaging techniques together. The chemotherapy duration should be adequacy, and the problem of multi-drug resistance should be paid more attention.

Key words: Osteoarticular tuberculosis