ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the usual means for diagnosing peripheral tuberculous lymphadenitis and present our experience in the management of the disease. METHODS: Three hundred and two patients with peripheral lymphadenopathy due to tuberculosis were diagnosed and referred by several hospitals in 9 governorates to the National Tuberculosis Institute. Patients were reviewed prospectively regarding diagnosis and treatment. RESULTS: Histological findings were diagnostic in 94% of patients. In our experience, isolation of mycobacterium from the lymph node tissue was neither practical nor reliable. Four out of 54 patients with bulky caseating nodes or discharging sinuses failed to respond to chemotherapy after 2 months of treatment. CONCLUSION: Histopathological diagnosis was the most practical method for diagnosing peripheral tuberculous lymphadenopathy. We recommend that patients who had bulky caseating nodes or discharging sinuses, to undergo surgical excision followed by chemotherapy.
