Cold abscess as a primary manifestation of thyroid tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis remains the highest cause of infection-related mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is often misdiagnosed because of the nonspecific clinical presentations and gaps in the laboratory assessment. Delayed and misdiagnosis can cause increased risks of morbidity and potential community transmission. Primary thyroid tuberculosis is very rare presentation even in the endemic area. We presented a Case Illustrated of a patient with cold abscess as a primary presentation of thyroid tuberculosis. Difficulty in the diagnosis and treatment were described. Although very rare, atypical presentation of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis in the thyroid gland requires thorough anamnesis and in-depth examination. Clinicians should put high-index suspicion on high-risk patients from endemic areas with medical comorbidity including immunocompromised disease and poor nutritional status. Our report underlines the importance of thorough medical assessment for unusual presentation of thyroid tuberculosis.