Cold abscess of dental origin in a 7-year-old child

Abscess related to an infected tooth is mostly associated with pyogenic infection, but sometimes, it can be asymptomatic and indicate a chronic condition. This case report shows cold abscess with a draining sinus due to dental origin. A 7-year-old female patient complained of pain with respect to grossly decayed tooth and recurrent swelling with no response to medications. After investigations and management of the lesion, it was concluded as abscess due to chronic granulomatous infection. Cold abscess is a classical manifestation of tuberculosis with no signs of inflammation. More than 60% of cases of this pathology occur in patients below 15 years old. It needs various clinical, histopathological, and laboratory investigations. Although rare, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis when no improvement occurs postroutine therapy to prevent serious complications. Furthermore, various precautions should be taken by the clinicians to prevent cross-infection.

Absceso frío tuberculoso. Revisión de la literatura a propósito de cinco casos en Angola / Tuberculous cold abscess. Literature review on five cases in Angola

RESUMEN Introducción: El absceso frío tuberculoso es la forma clínica más frecuente de tuberculosis cutánea. Objetivo: Familiarizar a los médicos generales con las características clínicas del absceso tuberculoso frío para asegurar su diagnóstico y tratamiento específico en la consulta de Cirugía del Hospital General N'gola Kimbanda en Namibe, Angola en 2018. Método: Se revisó la literatura sobre el tema en bases de datos científicas como Medline, PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, Clinical Key, LILACS con los descriptores: tuberculosis extrapulmonar y absceso frío tuberculoso. Resultados: Los pacientes, tres varones y dos hembras, tres adultos y dos infantes, todos desnutridos, con antecedentes de tuberculosis pulmonar y mal de Pott que fueron enviados a consulta con el diagnóstico de lipoma. En todos los casos se diagnosticó absceso frío tuberculoso, 3 de localización lumbar, 1 toracolumbar y 1 lumbosacra confirmados por microbiología y tratados según los protocolos de las especialidades de Cirugía y Neumología. Conclusiones: Es necesario que los estudiantes de Medicina, médicos generales y especialistas que en su desempeño enfrentan a dichos pacientes dentro y fuera de Cuba se empoderen de las características semiológicas del, también llamado, goma tuberculoso, a fin de identificarlo en los pacientes de riesgo y garantizar su tratamiento médico-quirúrgico específico para evitar la discapacidad y mortalidad asociada a esta temida infección que sigue constituyendo un azote social.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Tuberculous cold abscess is the most common clinical form of skin tuberculosis. Objective: To familiarize general physicians with the clinical characteristics of tuberculous cold abscesses to ensure their diagnosis and specific treatment at the Surgery Department of the N'gola Kimbanda General Hospital in Namibe, Angola in 2018. Method: Literature on the subject was reviewed in scientific databases such as Medline, PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, Clinical Key and LILACS with the following descriptors: extrapulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculous cold abscess. Results: The patients, three males and two females, three adults and two infants, all of them malnourished, with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis and Pott's Disease, who were sent for consultation with a diagnosis of lipoma. In all cases, tuberculous cold abscesses were diagnosed, 3 of them in lumbar location, 1 in thoracolumbar and 1 in lumbosacral locations, confirmed by microbiology and treated according to the protocols of the specialties of Surgery and Pneumology. Conclusions: It is necessary that students of Medicine, general physicians and specialists who face these patients inside and outside of Cuba to gain in knowledge with the semiological characteristics of the tuberculous cold abscess, also known as tuberculous gum, in order to identify it in the patients in risk groups, and to guarantee their specific medical-surgical treatment to avoid the disability and mortality associated to this infection that still constitutes a major issue.

Tuberculosis de mama: reporte de un caso / Breast tuberculosis: a case report

RESUMEN Presentamos caso de mastitis en mujer de 45 años sin antecedentes de infección en otras regiones corporales. Presentó cuadro clínico, estudios de imágenes y baciloscopia inespecíficos, sin embargo, mediante muestras histológicas obtenidas por punción aspirativa se encontró células epiteliodes gigantes, necrosis y formaciones granulomatosas, lo cual justificó el pensamiento clínico en tuberculosis. En ausencia de evidencias confirmatorias de lesión en otros tejidos, la existencia de mastitis de evolución tórpida es un indicativo clínico para sospechar tuberculosis mamaria, pues usualmente las características del proceso suelen plantear diagnósticos erróneos con otras entidades tumorales de la mama como cáncer. La tuberculosis en mama, representa una rara enfermedad cuyo diagnóstico es difícil por las bajas evidencias clínicas, microbiológicas y la inespecificidad de los resultados imagenológicos, por lo que la sospecha de su real posibilidad diagnóstica es una condición primordial para su determinación, aun cuando no se confirme el agente causal.

ABSTRACT We present a case of mastitis in a 45-year-old woman with no history of infection in other areas of the body, with unspecific clinical picture, imaging studies, and bacilloscopy. However, histological samples obtained by aspiration showed giant epithelial cells, necrosis, and granulomatous formations, which justified a clinical inclination toward tuberculosis. In the absence of confirmatory evidence of any lesions in other tissues, the existence of mastitis of torpid evolution is a clinical indication to suspect mammary tuberculosis, since the characteristics of the process usually lead to erroneous diagnoses with other breast tumors such as cancer. Tuberculosis in the breast is a rare disease with a difficult diagnosis due to the low clinical and microbiological evidence and the lack of specificity of the imaging results, so the suspicion of its real diagnostic possibility is a fundamental condition for its determination, even when the causal agent is not confirmed.

Airway compromise during central venous cannulation in an undiagnosed tubercular retropharyngeal abscess: A case report.

Central venous cannulation is often associated with complications during insertion even by expert’s hand and with the aid of ultrasound. We encountered a patient for central line insertion through the right internal jugular vein having a retropharyngeal abscess of tubercular origin. We accidentally punctured the abscess cavity leading to increased respiratory distress and subsequent need of intubation to the patient. This kind of complication during central line insertion has never been reported before. We intend to report such a case to alert everyone about the grave complications it can lead to and the methods to minimize them in the times ahead.

Primary tuberculosis of thyroid gland – a case report.

Tuberculosis of the thyroid gland is very rare disease and isolated involvement of thyroid is even more rare. There are about 200 cases of thyroid gland tuberculosis had been reported worldwide .In India das et al repotred 21 cases thyroid tuberculosis . Almost all cases were secondary to some primary foci elsewhere in the body.The diagnosis is usually very difficult as the clinical presentation has no distinct characterstics. Clinically it may resemble thyroditis or goiter or some malignant etiology. On histo pathological evaluation, presence of necrotizing epitheloid cell granuloma along with langhan giant cells are diagnostic of thyroid tuberculosis. Further demonstration of acid fast bacilli in Z N staining confirms diagnosis.

Pott's Disease and Cold Abscesses / General Medicine

Tuberculous spondylitis, or so-called Pott's disease, seems to be overlooked because of a lack of severe inflammation in the insidious generating process and tends to cause non-specific symptoms, such as back pain, fever, weakness, and weight loss. Diagnostic delay is common and the results can be disastrous. Discriminating between Pott's disease and other diseases, such as malignancy and pyogenic infection, is difficult. However, the inflammatory process in Pott's disease tends to spare the disk space, while that of pyogenic infection typically affects the area. Herein, we present a patient with Pott's disease who showed the characteristic clinical and radiological findings.

Acute suppurative presentation of Osteoarticular Tuberculosis in children.

Introduction: Osteoarticular tuberculosis is known for its atypical presentations. The acute presentation of osteoarticular tuberculosis although mentioned by many observers is seldom seen in practice. We report the varied presentations of acute suppurative presentation of osteoarticular tuberculosis in pediatric age group. Methods: Our study retrospectively assessed 10 children with osteoarticular tuberculosis who had acute presentation with short history of a few days and signs of acute inflammation. Results: The age range varied from 3-12 years. The duration of symptoms averaged 14.7 days (range, 4-28 days). Three patients were afebrile at the time of presentation. The diagnosis of tubercular aetiology was made only retrospectively in all the cases. All, except one, were subjected to Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC)/ trochar bone biopsy. Diagnosis was based on smear positive for acid fast bacilli (n=3), histopathology (n=5), and on clinicoradiological findings in two cases. The acute exudative pattern was seen in seven and gravity assisted tracking and accumulation of abscess (dependent) in three patients. In eight patients, the FNAC/ trochar biopsy decompressed the lesion initially. Incision and drainage were performed on one case of osteoarticular tuberculosis with clinical presentation of acute pyogenic infection. Another patient of acute exudative pattern was subjected to drainage and debridement in view of impending burst. Both exudative and dependent forms of suppurative presentations of osteoarticular tuberculosis responded well to standard antitubercular chemotherapy. The abscesses resolved within a period of 6-12 weeks. Conclusion: The acute suppurative presentation is a rare and atypical form of osteoarticular tuberculosis. It has close resemblance to acute pyogenic infections or septic arthritis and pose significant diagnostic dilemma for the unwary. A vigilant and methodical approach is the key for managing acute suppurative tubercular presentations.

Surgical Treatment of Tuberculous Cold Abscess of the Chest Wall

The incidence of tuberculosis (Tbc) infection is high in some parts of the world and tuberculous cold abscess of the chest wall (CACW) often fails to respond to medical treatment. Medical records of 178 patients who underwent surgical treatment of chest wall abscesses from July 1970 to Sept. 2000 were reviewed and 89 patients who were pathologically confirmed as Tbc cold abscess cases were included in this study. Their ages ranged from 9 to 71 years (mean 33.3 years) and the male to female ratio was 1.2:1 (49 male, 40 female). The symptoms were palpable chest wall mass, pain and pus discharge, and three patients had multiple lesions. Twenty-five patients (28%) underwent excision of chest wall abscesses and 64 patients (72%) underwent chest wall and rib resection. Tbc medication was given preoperatively in 39 patients for an average of 6.3 months and all patients were given Tbc medication postoperatively for an average of 12 months. Postoperative complications were bleeding, pus discharge, empyema, pleural effusion, wound dehiscence, subcutaneous emphysema and activation of pulmonary Tbc. The disease recurred in 7 patients (7.8%) and these 7 patients all underwent a second operation. We recommend preoperative Tbc medication and complete resection of chest wall abscesses including any suspicious ribs. Postoperative Tbc medication for a minimum of 12 months is essential to decrease the risk of a relapse.

A case of single cervical tuberculous cold abscess associated with multi-loculated tuberculous pleurisy / 결핵

St. Francisco General Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Although the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis is declining, the number of extrapulmonary tuberculosis has remained constant. Tuberculous Lymphadenitis accounts for over 50% of total inflammatory lymphadenitis and the most common site is cervical lymph node. We report a case of single cervical tuberculous cold abscess associated with multiloculated and septated tuberculous pleurisy. Intracavitary urokinase instillation via percutaneous catheter is indicated in loculated and septated pleural effusion. And our result was satisfactory without complication.