Supraclavicular Scrofuloderma: A Diagnostic Challenge without Apparent Clinical Manifestations of Tuberculosis

Scrofuloderma is one of the cutaneous manifestations of tuberculosis and usually occurs when underlying tuberculosis such as lymphadenitis directly involves the skin. However, the diagnosis of scrofuloderma without other apparent clinical manifestations of tuberculosis is sometimes challenging. A 27...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yusuke Yoshioka, Takeshi Namiki, Tsukasa Ugajin, Keiko Miura, Hiroo Yokozeki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2021-07-01
Series:Case Reports in Dermatology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/515983
Description
Summary:Scrofuloderma is one of the cutaneous manifestations of tuberculosis and usually occurs when underlying tuberculosis such as lymphadenitis directly involves the skin. However, the diagnosis of scrofuloderma without other apparent clinical manifestations of tuberculosis is sometimes challenging. A 27-year-old male from Bangladesh presented with a dome-shaped tumor on his right clavicle. MRI showed a high-density area that expanded from the lymph nodes between the internal jugular vein and the common carotid artery into the tumor on his right clavicle. Bacterial examinations of cultures from the tumor detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Further examinations for pulmonary tuberculosis including chest X-ray and computed tomography did not detect any lesions suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis. From those examinations, the diagnosis of scrofuloderma was made. We emphasize the importance of recognizing a variety of clinical manifestations of tuberculosis including scrofuloderma due to the recent increase of immigrants from developing countries.
ISSN:1662-6567