Presentation
Left foot: swelling over lateral malleolus, not currently discharging, had been previously. Swelling over 4th toe, discharging sinus at base. Right hand: swelling of the 5th metacarpal.
Patient Data
Plain radiographs of the right hand and left foot revealed:
dactylitis of 4th left toe
dactylitis of the 5th right metacarpal
Case Discussion
This case study is taken from a large collection of archival records of Stannington Tuberculosis Sanatorium, the UK's first purpose-built children's TB sanatorium. This is just one of many examples from the collection.
The patient was admitted to the sanatorium in September 1940. 7 months earlier the left ankle became swollen and began to discharge from 4th left toe. The patient had hurt his right hand 1 year previously which then became swollen. The rest of his family were all well and there was no family history of TB.