Papular dermatosis as a gateway for the diagnosis of occult tuberculosis infections: a case report
نویسندگان
1 Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, B. J. Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
2 Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, B. J. Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
3 Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, B. J. Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
4 Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, B. J. Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
5 Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, B. J. Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
doi
10.22034/ijd.2023.360217.1617چکیده
Tuberculids are cutaneous immunologic reactions to the presence of tuberculosis (TB), which may often be occult in other parts of the body or may result from fragments released from a different site of either active or past tuberculous infection. These are believed to be due to the hematogenous dissemination of bacilli in a host with a high level of immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They are important, albeit subtle, diagnostic markers of TB. One example of a tuberculid is lichen scrofulosorum (LS), which is typically observed in children and young adults. Here, we report a 9-year-old girl who presented with skin-colored, flat-topped papules clustered on the limbs, trunk, and pubis, along with molluscum contagiosum on the abdomen. LS and lichen nitidus were considered as differential diagnoses. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of LS with molluscum contagiosum. Upon further evaluation, the patient was found to have mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis and was started on anti-tuberculous therapy. This case report highlights the importance of recognizing such rare presentations to facilitate the early detection and treatment of underlying occult tuberculosis infections.
