Calvarial tuberculosis: an unusual presentation of disseminated tuberculosis

BMJ Case Rep. 2019 Apr 25;12(4):e226967. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2018-226967.

Abstract

A 30-year-old man, without previous medical record, was admitted to our centre due to persistent hacking cough for the previous 2 months, accompanied by nocturnal sweating, unquantified weight loss and low-grade fever. The patient was finally diagnosed of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). During admission, a right forehead swelling was detected, painful to palpation, fluctuating and not attached to the skin, without cutaneous alterations or neurological impairment. Surgical debridement was performed and intraoperative cultures were positive for mycobacteria TB. The patient completed 9 months of antituberculous therapy and fully recovered.

Keywords: Tb and other respiratory infections; bone and joint infections; neuroimaging; neurosurgery; tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Debridement
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Skull / diagnostic imaging
  • Skull / drug effects
  • Skull / pathology*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tuberculosis, Miliary / diagnosis*
  • Tuberculosis, Miliary / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / diagnosis*
  • Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular / pathology
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / complications*
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / pathology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents