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Tuberculous lymphadenitis presenting as inflammatory cervicofacial swelling in a 12-year-old girl

  • case study
  • Published:
international journal of stomatology & occlusion medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Tuberculosis has a global incidence with an estimated 1.86 billion people being affected. Tuberculous lymphadenitis is a chronic specific granulomatous inflammation with caseation necrosis of the lymph nodes. This case report highlights a rare presentation of tuberculous lymphadenitis as an inflammatory swelling in the preauricular and submandibular regions.

Methods and patient

A 12-year-old female patient presented with two solitary swellings in the right preauricular and right submandibular regions which had been present for 1 week. Both swellings were 2 ´ 2 cm in size with signs of inflammation of the overlying skin. The investigations and treatment have been reviewed in the presented report.

Conclusions

Mycobacterial infection must always be considered as a possible differential diagnosis when treating patients with such swellings refractory to normal antibiotic regimes. Tuberculosis normally presents as a cold abscess but this may not always be the case.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College & Hospital, Allapakkam Main Road, Maduravoyal, 600095, Chennai, TN, India

    R.S. Neelakandan MDS, Darpan Bhargava MDS, MOMS RCPS(Glasg), PDCR, PGDHM, M. Kumaran BDS & A.I. Raj BDS

Authors
  1. R.S. Neelakandan MDS
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  2. Darpan Bhargava MDS, MOMS RCPS(Glasg), PDCR, PGDHM
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  3. M. Kumaran BDS
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  4. A.I. Raj BDS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Darpan Bhargava MDS, MOMS RCPS(Glasg), PDCR, PGDHM.

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Neelakandan, R., Bhargava, D., Kumaran, M. et al. Tuberculous lymphadenitis presenting as inflammatory cervicofacial swelling in a 12-year-old girl. J. Stomat. Occ. Med. 4, 72–75 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12548-011-0011-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12548-011-0011-x

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