Presentation Of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Research Articles

Determinants of tuberculosis site among 1035 cases in Frankfurt, 2008-2023: does lineage matter?

Abstract Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) presents with nonspecific symptoms which can pose a diagnostic challenge. Currently, there are no clear predictors for EPTB. We aimed to identify these factors for better diagnosis and disease control. We included tuberculosis cases reported in Frankfurt from 2008-2023, with available clinical and whole genome sequencing data. According to WHO criteria, cases with pulmonary or combined pulmonary and extrapulmonary symptoms were categorised as pulmonary tuberculosis, while exclusively extrapulmonary symptoms were categorised as extrapulmonary tuberculosis. We assessed the association between EPTB and M. tuberculosis lineage, comorbidities and demographic characteristics using logistic regression, calculating crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR). Of the 1035 reported tuberculosis cases, 272 had exclusively extrapulmonary disease and 136 had both pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease. In the univariable analysis, lineages 1 and 3 were significantly associated with extrapulmonary disease compared to lineage 4. However, this association was not observed in the multivariable analysis. In the final regression model, females were more likely to develop EPTB than men (aOR: 1.65, CI: 1.19-2.27). The odds of developing extrapulmonary disease were higher among patients born in the South-East Asian (aOR: 6.48, CI: 3.72-11.43) and Eastern Mediterranean (aOR: 5.54, CI: 3.41-9.11) than in other regions. Among the comorbidities, diabetes was found to be negatively associated with extrapulmonary disease (aOR: 0.50, CI: 0.26-0.91). Our results indicate that host factors such as geographic origin and sex are stronger predictors for extrapulmonary presentation of tuberculosis than a specific lineage. We recommend increasing physicians’ awareness of the nonspecific presentation of EPTB and adapting screening programmes, particularly for patients from South-East Asian and Eastern Mediterranean regions to foster more effective tuberculosis control measures. Key messages • Our study highlights the importance of considering host factors in predicting extrapulmonary tuberculosis, indicating their stronger influence compared to specific M. tuberculosis lineages. • Increased physicians’ awareness of the nonspecific symptoms of EPTB and targeted screening programs for high-risk populations are crucial for enhancing tuberculosis control measures.

Targeted nanopore sequencing using clinical specimens for the rapid diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis

BackgroundThe clinical presentation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is atypical and it is easily confused with other diseases such as common infections, making prompt diagnosis a great challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of targeted nanopore sequencing (TNS) in the diagnosis of EPTB. The diagnostic accuracy of TNS using different types of extrapulmonary specimens was also evaluated.MethodsWe reviewed the clinical data of patients with suspected EPTB for whom TNS was conducted and who were hospitalized at our center. The true positive, false positive, false negative, and true negative values were determined. Indices of diagnostic accuracy were computed, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) for TNS and acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture, and compared with those from clinical diagnosis.Results149 patients were included in the analysis. The overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and AUC of TNS for the diagnosis of EPTB were 86.4%, 87.5%, 97.3%, 55.3%, and 0.87, respectively. For diagnosis by AFB culture, these values were 25.6%, 100.0%, 100.0%, 20.5%, and 0.63, respectively. The most common specimens used were lymph node tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural effusion, and pleural tissue. The diagnostic accuracy of TNS using all types of extrapulmonary specimens was good.ConclusionsTNS demonstrates good diagnostic accuracy in the rapid diagnosis of EPTB and this was true across different types of extrapulmonary specimens.

Unusual Presentation of Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Middle aged Female: A Unique Case Report

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all infectious diseases especially in Pakistan where TB is endemic while extra pulmonary TB often encountered. However, primary salivary gland specifically unilateral parotid gland involvement is exceedingly uncommon. We present a case of 38-year old woman with six months duration of right parotid lump. The lump was firm and non-tender with bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy. No other constitutional symptoms of TB in our patient except weight loss. We presumed it a parotid neoplasm but after workup it reveals parotid TB which responds to first line anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT). So, careful exclusion of parotid neoplasm prevented unwanted surgery in our patient and patient recovered without any residual disease. We proposed that the differential diagnosis of a parotid gland swelling should include the infrequent possibility of parotid gland tuberculosis.

Cytomorphological Patterns of AFB Positive Tubercular Lymphadenitis: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global threat despite advancements in diagnostic technologies and treatment options. Tubercular lymphadenitis is the most common presentation of Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB) in developing countries, accounting for approximately 30-52% of cases. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) plays a crucial role in the cost- effective and efficient outpatient diagnosis of tubercular lymphadenitis. Understanding the different cytomorphological patterns and Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) density in tubercular lymphadenitis aids in early diagnosis, management, and reducing morbidity and mortality. Aim: To analyse the various cytomorphological patterns observed in tubercular lymphadenitis, along with AFB density. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional cytomorphological study study was conducted between September and October 2021. Data from September 2020 to August 2021 were collected from the records of Shanthabai Devarao Shivaram(SDS) Tuberculosis Research Centre and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, a tertiary care hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Out of a total of 128 patients with lymphadenopathy who underwent FNAC, four cases were excluded due to failed aspiration. The remaining 124 cases were available for analysis. Smears that exhibited features suggestive of tuberculosis were selected and categorised based on cytomorphological patterns into the following groups: Pattern-1 (Exudative), Pattern-2 (Epithelioid granuloma without necrosis), Pattern-3 (Epithelioid granuloma with necrosis), and Pattern-4 (Predominantly Necrosis without epithelioid granuloma). Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stained AFB positive smears were further categorised into four groups based on mycobacterial load. The categories included scant (1-9 AFB in 100 fields), 1+ (10-99 AFB in 100 fields), 2+ (1-10 AFB per field), and 3+ (>10 AFB per field). Higher numbers indicated greater infectivity. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test. A probability level of less than 0.05 (p<0.05) was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the 124 cases studied, 81 (65.32%) were females and 43 (34.68%) were males, with a female preponderance (1.9:1). The overall prevalence of tubercular lymphadenopathy was 89 cases (71.77%), with Pattern 4 (Acellular necrosis without granuloma) being the most common cytomorphological pattern 25 cases (28.09%) followed closely by Pattern-2 (Epithelioid cell granuloma without necrosis) 23 cases (25.84%). AFB positivity was observed in 57 cases (64.04%). Pattern-1 (Exudative pattern) showed 100% AFB positivity (21 out of 21 cases), while Pattern 4 (Predominantly necrosis without epithelioid granuloma) demonstrated 92% AFB positivity (23 out of 25 cases). Conclusion: Understanding the various cytomorphological patterns in tubercular lymphadenitis is crucial for its diagnosis. Additionally, identifying AFB positivity, acid-fast bacilli distribution, and Bacterial Index (BI) in various patterns aids in planning early treatment and ensuring a favourable prognosis. FNAC serves as an easy, inexpensive, and quick procedure that can help avoid unnecessary surgical intervention or biopsy in the diagnosis of tubercular lymphadenitis.

Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis Presenting as an Acute Osteoarthritis of the Ankle: A Case Report

Tuberculosis is a global health problem that affects millions of people each year. Although pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common form of the disease, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, including joint tuberculosis, is also a significant clinical problem. Joint tuberculosis is a challenging condition to manage, and surgical intervention is often necessary to prevent joint destruction and disability. This brief case report presents a particularly rare form of joint tuberculosis and its therapeutical management.

Primary Rifampicin Mono-Resistant Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Presenting as a Posterior Chest Wall Abscess: The World’s First Case

Primary Rifampicin Mono-Resistant Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Presenting as a Posterior Chest Wall Abscess: The World’s First Case

Tuberculous Otomastoiditis, an Uncommon Presentation of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in a Immunocompetant Child

Tuberculosis is a major public health problem in our country with predominant involvement of lung and lymph nodes which. Tuberculous mastoiditis is quite rare and is often diagnosed late. Early diagnosis and effective treatment may prevent ear damage as well as central nervous system complication. In this report, we describe the case of a 15-month-old male with a history of fever and yellow discharge. CT scan of temporal bones showed fluid accumulation in mastoid cells and in the middle ear with destruction of the left mastoid cortex and partial ossicular erosion. It’s associated with a collection of soft parts opposite with peripheral enhancement after contrast application with left sigmoid sinus thrombosis. Necrotizing granulomatous inflammation was present in the mastoid specimens in all cases. Confirmatory diagnosis was made via GeneXpert polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The clinical outcome was favorable after anti-tuberculosis treatment.

Pangenome Reconstruction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a Guide to Reveal Genomic Features Associated with Strain Clinical Phenotype.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of human deaths worldwide caused by infectious diseases. TB infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis can occur in the lungs, causing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), or in any other organ of the body, resulting in extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). There is no consensus on the genetic determinants of this pathogen that may contribute to EPTB. In this study, we constructed the M. tuberculosis pangenome and used it as a tool to seek genomic signatures associated with the clinical presentation of TB based on its accessory genome differences. The analysis carried out in the present study includes the raw reads of 490 M. tuberculosis genomes (PTB n = 245, EPTB n = 245) retrieved from public databases that were assembled, as well as ten genomes from Mexican strains (PTB n = 5, EPTB n = 5) that were sequenced and assembled. All genomes were annotated and then used to construct the pangenome with Roary and Panaroo. The pangenome obtained using Roary consisted of 2231 core genes and 3729 accessory genes. On the other hand, the pangenome resulting from Panaroo consisted of 2130 core genes and 5598 accessory genes. Associations between the distribution of accessory genes and the PTB/EPTB phenotypes were examined using the Scoary and Pyseer tools. Both tools found a significant association between the hspR, plcD, Rv2550c, pe_pgrs5, pe_pgrs25, and pe_pgrs57 genes and the PTB genotype. In contrast, the deletion of the aceA, esxR, plcA, and ppe50 genes was significantly associated with the EPTB phenotype. Rv1759c and Rv3740 were found to be associated with the PTB phenotype according to Scoary; however, these associations were not observed when using Pyseer. The robustness of the constructed pangenome and the gene-phenotype associations is supported by several factors, including the analysis of a large number of genomes, the inclusion of the same number of PTB/EPTB genomes, and the reproducibility of results thanks to the different bioinformatic tools used. Such characteristics surpass most of previous M. tuberculosis pangenomes. Thus, it can be inferred that the deletion of these genes can lead to changes in the processes involved in stress response and fatty acid metabolism, conferring phenotypic advantages associated with pulmonary or extrapulmonary presentation of TB. This study represents the first attempt to use the pangenome to seek gene-phenotype associations in M. tuberculosis.

Tuberculous Meningitis in Male Child and Cavitary Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Mother: Concurrent Familial Infective Disease as Evidence of Recent Transmission from Mother to Baby!

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of mortality in children worldwide, but there remain significant challenges in diagnosing and treating TB infection and disease. Tuberculous (TB) meningitis is the commonest infectious disease of the central nervous system in paediatric and geriatric cases. Childhood TB is an indication of failing TB control in the community. It allows disease persistence in the population. Tuberculosis can be prevented in children by diagnosing and treating cases of active TB amongst adults, as paediatric cases always acquire it passively from household contact of adults suffering from TB as disease in adults is multibacillary. Although significant data is available for the prevention of childhood extra-pulmonary and disseminated TB, offering Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, it is still not routinely offered during vaccination. In this case report, a two-year child with a history of failure to thrive and constitutional symptoms diagnosed with disseminated extra-pulmonary TB presenting as TB meningitis with a history of contact with the mother suffering from active sputum positive pulmonary TB receiving anti-TB treatment. Child was evaluated with CT brain plain and contrast and documented meningeal enhancement. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed tuberculous etiology in presence of lymphocytic predominance and raised ADA level in fluid. CSF fluid sent for cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test documented MTB genome with rifampicin sensitivity. We retrospectively analysed mothers’ sputum examination and observed higher grades of sputum AFB and her cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test revealed MTB genome with rifampicin sensitivity. Child and mother were treated with standard protocol recommended by NTEP (National Tuberculosis elimination program). In conclusion, we recommend BCG vaccination to all newborns, and tuberculin skin testing and isoniazid prophylaxis to the contact of adults with sputum positive pulmonary TB cases in India to prevent transmission of disease from mother to baby. A high index of suspicion is must while evaluating these cases and all possible measures should be taken to confirm tuberculosis to have successful treatment outcome.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting as diplopia: a case report of an atypically located tuberculoma in an immunocompetent patient in a non-endemic region

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting as diplopia: a case report of an atypically located tuberculoma in an immunocompetent patient in a non-endemic region

Characteristics of Tuberculous Spondylitis Patients Who Underwent Decompression and Posterior Stabilization Surgery At Dr Hasan Sadikin Hospital 2019-2021 Period

Background: Tuberculous spondylitis is the classic presentation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Bone and joint TB occurs in 5-10% of the population. Surgical procedures are performed to prevent worsening of neurological deficits, maintain vertebral stability, and early mobilization. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of tuberculous spondylitis patients who underwent decompression and posterior Stabilization surgery at Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung for the 2019-2021 period. Method: This study uses a descriptive design with a cross-sectional approach obtained from medical records at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung for the 2019-2021 period, the study uses total sampling. The inclusion criteria in this study were cases of tuberculous spondylitis who underwent decompression and posterior stabilization surgery. The exclusion criteria in this study were TB spondylitis patients who have not experienced bone destruction and respond to therapy. The data was then processed using Microsoft Excel and the 25th edition of SPSS and then presented as research results. Results: There were 68 subjects in this study consisting of 28 men and 40 women, aged 11–73 years with a mean age of 35 years. In this study, the chief complaint was back pain in 85% of cases, spinal deformity 54% of cases, and neurological deficits in 36% of cases. Most tubercular lesions occurred in the thoracic (53%), lumbar (45%), cervical (1%). The study also found that 16% had diabetes mellitus, 11% had heart disease, , 10% had hypertension. 82% of study subjects stated a decrease in pain as assessed using VAS. Conclusion: Characteristics of tuberculous spondylitis patients who underwent decompressive and posterior stabilization surgery at Hasan Sadikin Hospital for the period 2019-2021 mostly occurred at women with the age of 11-73 years, with dominan complaints in the form of back pain (85%), and then spinal deformity, and paralysis, and findings of tubercular lesions Mostly in the thorax (53%), and then lumbar, and cervical, and there was a decrease in the value of the VAS after decompression and posterior stabilization surgery at Hasan Sadikin Hospital.s

S3328 An Atypical Etiology of Chronic Abdominal Pain: Peritoneal Tuberculosis

Introduction: Peritoneal tuberculosis (TB) is a rare presentation of extra-pulmonary TB, comprising only 5% of extra-pulmonary TB cases. Patients oftentimes present with non-specific complaints and without typical Mycobacterium tuberculosis risk factors. Additionally, diagnostic testing lacks high sensitivity and specificity with further invasive methods frequently necessitated. We present an unusual case of peritoneal TB presenting as non-localized abdominal pain, facilitating insight into this uncommon disease. Case Description/Methods: A 53-year-old female with a past medical history of hypothyroidism presented with joint pain diagnosed as seronegative rheumatoid arthritis and subsequently began treatment with methotrexate and adalimumab for one year. Within the following year, she experienced chronic right lower quadrant (RLQ) abdominal pain, fevers, night sweats, fatigue, and ascites. Extensive work-up revealed a positive QuantiFERON gold TB test. A diagnostic laparoscopy with peritoneal biopsy successively demonstrated elevated CA-125 and large-volume ascites. Mycobacterium tuberculosis PCR and Grocott methenamine silver staining were negative. One of two acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear and cultures yielded a positive result. Our patient was treated for peritoneal TB. She continued to have several years of chronic RLQ abdominal pain several months after RIPE treatment completion, undergoing a cholecystectomy and three adhesion lysis procedures with mild symptomatic improvement and subsequent worsening thereafter. An operative note highlighted the large amount of adhesions from the patient’s liver to her diaphragm and anterior abdominal wall, appearing similar to Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome. She continues to have chronic abdominal pain and is followed closely by her treatment team. Discussion: Our patient was on immunosuppressive medications and had a history of travel to Mexico, a high TB burden country. Notably, AFB smear and culture has a poor sensitivity for peritoneal TB, oftentimes necessitating laparoscopic peritoneal biopsy for further diagnosis. Our patient was empirically treated for peritoneal TB before AFB culture yielded positive results, given her B symptoms and positive QuantiFERON test. She also had an elevated CA-125 value, which is associated with peritoneal TB and may be used in patients with a negative AFB stain. Our patient experienced recurrent adhesions, an unfortunate and persistent consequence of the inflammatory nature of peritoneal TB.

A rare presentation of extra pulmonary tuberculosis in neck (isolated level-VI cervical lymph node tuberculosis)

<p class="abstract">One of the most common varieties of extra pulmonary tuberculosis is tuberculosis lymphadenitis. This was the case report of a 40-year-old female who presented with complaint of neck swelling and voice change and was later diagnosed with an isolated extra-pulmonary level-VI cervical lymph node tuberculosis. The diagnosis was made by histopathology and PCR and patient was then started with anti-tuberculosis therapy.</p>

Is GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay reliable for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis?

Introduction: Tuberculosis is the most common cause of infectious diseases related mortality globally. Tuberculous pleural effusion is a common presentation of extra pulmonary tuberculosis and a diagnostic challenge most of the time. The rapid diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion is essential for early treatment. GeneXpert is a new tool for rapid diagnosis but the ability to correctly diagnose of GeneXpert is a vital concern in the diagnosis of extra pulmonary tuberculosis.
 Objective: To determine the accurate ability of diagnosing the pleural fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF assessment in the suspected pleural tuberculosis patients considering as gold standard to the pleural biopsy.
 Methods: This study was a validational cross sectional survey and it was conducted in pulmonology department of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad from 1st July to 31st December 2018 after approval of IRB. Participants with suspected pathology ≥ 18 year with exudative pleural effusion were included in the study. By implementing the process of standard technique, closed needle pleural biopsy was executed by means of ABRAM’S needle. The collected samples of patients were sent to the pathology department of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for histopathology. Pleural fluid was referred to National Institute of Health Islamabad for GeneXpert MTB/RIF assessment on the alike day and reports were assembled. All findings were entered in a structured Proforma. Data was entered in SPSS version 20 and analyzed.
 Results: Total 180 patients were included; 65.6% patients were male. When the sensitivity of pleural fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF examination was calculated it was 10.4% whereas, the calculated specificity was 72.8%. While +ve predictive value of GeneXpert was 22.2% and -ve predictive value was 52.1%. Likelihood ratio was 8.25 and ROC curve also showed similar values. 
 Conclusion: The sensitivity of pleural fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay is very low and specificity is moderate for diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis when compared with pleural biopsy.

Tuberculous polyserositis in endemic areas with an emphasis on empiric therapy

Abstract Rationale: Polyserositis describes contemporaneous inflammation of multiple serous membranes accompanied by effusions in serous cavities. It has been associated with different aetiologies, including autoimmune diseases, endocrine diseases, neoplasia, drug-associated cases, and infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. Patient concerns: We report the case of a 34-year-old woman who presented with abdominal swelling for 8 months, fatigability, and shortness of breath for 2 months. She denied a history of lower-limb swelling, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, or right upper quadrant pain. She had no history of cigarette smoking, prior treatment for tuberculosis, malignancy, or contact with someone known to have tuberculosis (TB). On examination, she had a weak pulse, muffled heart sounds, and ascites. Diagnosis: Polyserositis was suspected following visualization of fluid in the peritoneal, pleural, and pericardial cavities on imaging. Interventions: The patient underwent pericardiocentesis and ascitic taps. The patient also received spironolactone, prednisolone, and paracetamol. Despite repeated ascitic tapping and use of diuretics, fluid continued to accumulate until the initiation of empiric anti-TB drugs (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol), as noted from the elevated levels of adenosine deaminase (pleural fluid-46.30U/L) and living in an endemic area for tuberculosis (Kenya). Outcomes: Three weeks after the initiation of anti-TB drugs, the ascites and pericardial and pleural effusions resolved. Two months after discharge, the patient showed marked improvement, with no residual fluid noted in the serous cavities on imaging. Lessons learnt: We report a case of extrapulmonary TB presenting with polyserositis (pericardial, pleural, and ascitic fluid) with elevated adenosine deaminase levels when the traditional Ziehl Neelsen staining yielded negative results. Good clinical judgment and more novel diagnostic tools are necessary to avoid unnecessary delays in initiating definitive management.

Pediatric Osteoarticular Tuberculosis as a Diagnostic Dilemma and a Review of Literature.

IntroductionDespite tuberculosis being rampant in the Indian subcontinent, most cases of osteoarticular (OA) tuberculosis (TB) are missed until significant bony destruction has occurred. Initial presentation of extra-pulmonary TB mimics many other disease entities while many diseases mimic TB. This may lead to an incorrect diagnosis and sometimes creates a dilemma in reaching the correct diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate a series of pediatric cases of osteoarticular TB, which posed a diagnostic challenge to us.Material and methodsRetrospective analysis of case records of pediatric OA-TB patients who had presented to two tertiary level centers of urban India between February 2016 and December 2020 was done. There were a total of 69 patients. ObservationsThere were 37 males and 32 females. The age range was from two to 17 years. Forty-four patients showed evidence of disease within the spine (dorsal region followed by lumbar, followed by the cervical spine), 16 showed disease of the extremities, six had disease of the girdle bones, and three showed disease of the short bones of hands or foot. In our series, patients presented to us between 15 days to six months from the onset of symptoms. From our series, six cases with atypical clinical pictures have been selected for presentation purposes. In all six cases, the initial presentation was not that of OA-TB. However, with a high degree of suspicion, differential diagnosis of TB was kept in mind, and the diagnosis was confirmed microbiologically.ConclusionA high degree of suspicion is required to avoid missing the diagnosis of osteoarticular TB. Non-invasive advanced radiological investigations such as MRI and microbiological analysis of biopsy specimens aid in arriving at the correct diagnosis.

Extra-Pulmonary Presentation of Tuberculosis among Patients Managed for Tuberculosis at a Tertiary Hospital in South-West Nigeria: A Retrospective Study

Extra-Pulmonary Presentation of Tuberculosis among Patients Managed for Tuberculosis at a Tertiary Hospital in South-West Nigeria: A Retrospective Study

Cold abscess as a primary manifestation of thyroid tuberculosis

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.

Efficacy of CBNAAT versus Adenosine Deaminase in Fluids in Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis

Introduction: Tuberculosis though primarily, is a pulmonary disease, it may manifest as Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB). The gold standard method for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is blood culture. Increased activity of Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) is observed in tuberculosis. Cartridge-based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) or Gene Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/ rifampicin (MTB/RIF) is based on Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR). Extrapulmonary tuberculosis may present with varied features, may mimic malignancy, and pose a diagnostic challenge. Aim: To assess and compare the efficacy of Cartridge-based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) and Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) in cases with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on presumptive cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting in Department of Medicine at People’s Hospital, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, from November 2019 to August 2021. All the patients were subjected to detailed history and clinical examination including series of blood and radiological investigations. Apart from this, ADA analysis and CBNAAT was done in all the cases and were treated accordingly. The two tests were compared using Chi-square test. The p-value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Male predominance was observed and with no statistical difference in age (p-value=0.09) and gender (p-value=0.21). Out of 19 cases of Tubercular Meningitis (TBM) from total 125, ADA was raised in 10 (52.6%) cases, whereas out of 42 Tubercular Pleural Effusion (TBPE) and 24 Tubercular Peritonitis (TBP) cases, ADA was raised in 26 (61.9%) and 4 (16.7%) cases, respectively. Out of 19 cases of TBM, CBNAAT was positive in 4 (21.1%) cases, whereas out of 42 TBPE and 24 TBP cases, CBNAAT positivity was documented in 8 (19%) and 2 (8.3%) cases, respectively. Overall, the sensitivity of ADA was higher for detection of TBM and TBPE as compared to CBNAAT but the specificity of CBNAAT was higher for all the extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Overall diagnostic accuracy of ADA was higher (61.6%) as compared to CBNAAT (43.2%) for detection of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusion: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis poses diagnostic challenge and thus for diagnosis, evaluation of each component i.e., history, physical examination, blood investigations, fluid analysis, ADA estimation, and CBNAAT is important. Relying solely on single diagnostic modality may be associated with low diagnostic yield, and thus each step of patient assessment must be given equal preference so as to improve the diagnostic yield.

A 17-Year-old Boy With Nodular Lesions in the Thyroid and Lymphadenopathy.

A 17-Year-old Boy With Nodular Lesions in the Thyroid and Lymphadenopathy.