Primary Chest Wall Abscess Caused by tuberculous Costal chondritis: A case report

Omar Toumi,Jamel Saad,Faouzi Noomene,Sadok Ben Jabra,Houssem Ammar,Randa Salem,Hanen Znaiti,Rahul Gupta,Khadija Zouari,Mariem Ayed,Mondher Golli

doi:10.15761/gos.1000159

Abstract

Primary Chest Wall Abscess Caused by tuberculous Costal chondritis: A case report

Highlights

Mycobacterium tuberculosis can affect almost any part of the body
Bone and joint tuberculosis is a rare location of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis
The costal involvement is extremely rare location, and primary tubercular costo chondritis is an exceptional form and has been very rarely reported in the literature. This case illustrates that primary rib cartilage tuberculosis is a rare disorder worldwide, and needs high index of suspicion for diagnosis, based on clinical, radiological and microscopical backgrounds

Summary

Introduction

Presentation of case: We report a 30 year male, who presented with insidious onset pain and swelling of the right lower parasternal area which on evaluation was diagnosed as tubercular infection of costochondral junction. The patient had no evidence of tuberculosis anywhere else in the body. The rib is an extremely rare site for osteo-articular tuberculosis, and involvement of costochondral junction is among the rarest forms of tuberculosis even in countries where tuberculosis is common [1,2]. Tubercular costochondritis usually presents with insidious onset, vague indolent symptoms with non- specific pain and swelling, resulting in delay in the diagnosis. The diagnosis of rib cartilage tuberculosis is crucial in order to differentiate it from a benign or malignant bone tumor, or other kinds of bacterial infections [2].

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Discussion

Conclusion