Cutaneous Tuberculosis: A Diagnosis Too Common, Yet Too Far

Background: Cutaneous tuberculosis (TB) is a rare disease seen by the pediatrician on an outpatient basis. It has a varied presentation and is classified on the basis of the source of infection and host's immune response to mycobacteria. Lupus vulgaris (LV) is a paucibacillary manifestation of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Akanksha Mahajan (Author), Taru Garg (Author), Kiran Agarwal (Author), Varinder Singh (Author)
Format: Book
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:Background: Cutaneous tuberculosis (TB) is a rare disease seen by the pediatrician on an outpatient basis. It has a varied presentation and is classified on the basis of the source of infection and host's immune response to mycobacteria. Lupus vulgaris (LV) is a paucibacillary manifestation of cutaneous TB. It can mimic other infectious skin diseases such as TB verrucosa cutis and chromoblastomycosis. Clinical Description: We hereby present a case report of an adolescent female with a serpiginous, nodular, and warty hyperpigmented skin lesion over her buttock. The lesion had started following incidental injury 7 years back as a papule and continued to expand despite multiple medications. Management: A skin biopsy was done which was suggestive of cutaneous TB, but the absence of systemic features confounded the diagnostic type. She was finally diagnosed as having LV after a detailed review with a dermatologist and pathologist. The patient responded well to antitubercular treatment. Conclusion: Although cutaneous tuberculosis is well described, it is often not recognized by the primary care physician. Diagnostic dilemmas may arise due to clinical-histopathological mismatch.
Item Description:2772-5170
2772-5189
10.4103/ipcares.ipcares_167_22