Mass mimicking tuberculosis cases diagnosed postoperatively

Abstract

Tuberculosis is a disease that occurs with different radiological manifestations. Although not frequent, tuberculosis cases seen as pulmonary masses have been reported in the literature. It is difficult to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis definitely and to rule out a tumor in patients presenting with image of a pulmonary mass. In this paper, we discussed difficulties in diagnosis of two patients, aged 42 and 65 years, who admitted with a mass image on their chest x-rays to our clinic. Positron emission tomography images were taken following computerized tomography. Acid fast bacteria, bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchoscopic biopsies were not diagnostic. Therefore, surgery was used to establish the diagnosis. In the first patient, lobectomy was carried out with wedge resection due to peroperative suspected malignancy report of frozen section. Definitive report, however, yielded tuberculosis. Both patients received antituberculosis treatment and both were well at routine follow up examinations. Tuberculosis should be kept in mind when a mass is encountered in an endemic area such as our country.