Most patients with early recurrent tuberculous lymphadenitis (RTL) can be overlooked due to the paucibacillary character of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) causing difficulty in the differential diagnosis. Here, we present three cases with early RTL that occurred after completing pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) therapy with a cure, and that improved by early diagnosis and therapy. A 30-year-old migrant male, HIV-negative patient, who had used immunosuppressive drugs for Crohn's disease presented to the TB outpatient clinic with a new anterior cervical lymph node enlargement. Two months ago, his therapy for pulmonary TB and intra-abdominal tuberculous lymphadenitis (TL) was completed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of purulent fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimen from the anterior cervical lymphadenopathy (LAP) was detected positive for MTBC. Isoniazid (H) resistance was determined via the Seegene system. The 6 cm anterior cervical LAP regressed to a 1.6 cm LAP at the 4th month of initial therapy with first-line antitubercular drugs. A 25-year-old female, the HIV-negative patient, was admitted to the TB outpatient clinic with a bulge on the submandibular area 3 months after the cessation of pulmonary multidrug-resistance TB therapy lasting 2 years. She had an index case but no comorbidity. The cytomorphology of FNA biopsy from the submandibular LAP reported granuloma with necrosis. RT-PCR of the purulent FNA specimen was positive for MTBC. H and rifampicin (R) resistances were found via the Seegene system. The right submandibular 2.9 cm LAP improved to a 1.7 cm LAP 6 months after the initiation of second-line antitubercular therapy. A 19-year-old male, the HIV-negative patient, presented to the TB outpatient clinic with a new bulge on the left supraclavicular area 9 months after cessation of pulmonary TB. He had no comorbidity and index case. RT-PCR of the purulent FNA specimen was positive for MTBC. H and R sensitivities were determined via the Seegene system. After the initial therapy with first-line antitubercular drugs for 2 months, the 1.5 cm left supraclavicular LAP improved to a 1.2 cm LAP.
Keywords: Cytomorphology; fine-needle aspiration; pulmonary tuberculosis; real-time polymerase chain reaction; relapsing tuberculous lymphadenitis.