Q: My 30 years old sister-in-law has been suffering from bone tuberculosis (TB) at the back of neck. What is the best treatment for bone TB and how long does it take to get treated? What kind of tests should she undergo? Is it infectious? Will bone TB affect the heart in any way? Is it curable?

A:Anti-tuberculosis treatment is available and it may take at least 9 to12 months to recover. The presumptive diagnosis is based on clinical examination. This is further established by radiological examination including CT scan, PET etc.; blood examination (ESR); microbiological examination for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and molecular biological examination (PCR and Real-time PCR on the sample drawn from the lesion. Bone TB is not infectious and does not affect the heart in any way. Tuberculosis is treatable and most patients recover without any residual side effects provided full course of treatment is given on time.