Isolated Tuberculosis of the Spleen: A Rare Clinical Entity

Abstract

Tuberculosis continues to be a major health hazard, inspite of notable advances in its diagnosis and treatment. Tuberculosis of the spleen is an extremely rare clinical entity. It often poses diagnostic difficulties as preoperative confirmation of diagnosis is not easy. We came across a young adult immunocompetent male from good socio-economic background, who presented with weight loss and left hypochondriac pain. Ultrasonography and CT scan of the abdomen revealed a single hypoechoic lesion in the spleen. Splenectomy was performed and the sample was sent for histopathological examination which revealed large areas of caseation surrounded by multiple granulomas of epitheloid and Langhans type of giant cells consistent with splenic tuberculosis. No primary focus of infection was detected in the lungs or any other organ.