Usual infection at unusual site: diagnosed on cytology

Abstract

The chest wall tuberculosis (TB) is an uncommon form of tuberculosis especially in an immunocompetent patient. It constitutes 1–2% of all cases of TB and 1–5% of musculoskeletal TB. The hematogenous spread, lymphatic spread, direct inoculation of tubercular bacilli, or extension of underlying pleura-pulmonary TB are the modes of chest wall TB infection. The clinical presentation of chest wall TB may mimics pyogenic abscess. The fine-needle aspiration cytology is helpful in all cases of abscess not responding to adequate antibiotic treatment and also to rule out mycobacterial infection. We report a case in healthy immunocompetent individual presented with tender swelling over the chest wall diagnosed as primary tubercular lesion on fine-needle aspiration cytology.