Tuberculous infection (TB) is rare in the United Kingdom (UK) with a prevalence rate of 7.3 per 100,000 population in 2020 according to Public Health England. Tuberculous infection of any kind is more common in individuals born in TB-endemic areas. This report describes the case of a male with no significant past medical history who presented with shortness of breath and supraclavicular lymphadenopathy and was subsequently diagnosed with culture-positive disseminated TB. He developed septic shock, underwent treatment and improved. This case highlights an atypical patient profile for the diagnosis of disseminated TB with septic shock and draws attention to the challenges of diagnosing tuberculosis in TB-non-endemic areas. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for disseminated tuberculous infection in patients with chronic symptoms and signs affecting multiple organ systems without any obvious cause.
Keywords: disseminated tuberculosis; immunocompetent adult; scrofula; septic shock; septic shock in disseminated tuberculosis.
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