Hyperthyroidism due to involvement of thyroid gland in disseminated tuberculosis: A rare entity.

Involvement of the thyroid gland with tuberculosis (TB) is unusual and is commonly associated with hypothyroidism. Involvement of the thyroid as a part of disseminated TB is even rarer. Dissemination is an indication of immunosuppression. We present a 16-year-old immunocompetent girl with disseminated TB involving the thyroid gland and the right radius bone with features of hyperthyroidism. The patient responded well to anti-TB treatment.

Pituitary tuberculosis presented with pituitary coma.

BACKGROUND: Pituitary tuberculosis is very rare. Its diagnosis is difficult unless a bacteriological or histological evidence of tuberculosis. OBSERVATION: We report the case of a 54 years old woman who presented with a pituitary coma that occurred two weeks after the initiation of antituberculous therapy for cervical lymph node tuberculosis. Resonance magnetic imaging showed a pseudotumoral aspect of the pituitary gland. She had hormonal replacement and anti-tuberculous therapy. Outcome was favourable with the normalization of both the pituitary function and the pituitary volume. However, an acute hypopituitarism happened eight months after the withdrawal of antituberculous, which were taken during 12 months. The re initiation of anti tuberculous therapy and its extension to two years leaded to a prolonged remission. CONCLUSION: the three-phase outcome confirms the tuberculous origin of the hypophysitis in our patient.

Primary tuberculosis of the thyroid gland: an unexpected cause of thyrotoxicosis.

We describe a 38-year-old Indian man who presented with a 2-week history of fever, night sweats and neck swelling who was found to be clinically thyrotoxic with a nodular goitre, tachycardia and high fever. Biochemical investigation revealed hyperthyroidism in association with deranged liver function tests and raised inflammatory markers. Ultrasound and CT scans of the neck revealed multinodular thyroid enlargement. He was considered most likely to have an acute infectious thyroiditis with a differential diagnosis of a toxic multinodular goitre and was started on carbimazole and antibiotics. He underwent fine needle aspiration of the thyroid which revealed necrotic cells and acid-fast bacilli, confirming a diagnosis of primary tuberculosis (TB) of the thyroid gland with no evidence of any other organ involvement on systemic imaging. He was started on TB therapy for 6 months and discharged with outpatient follow-up. Symptoms and biochemical markers subsequently resolved.

Extrapulmonary disseminated tuberculosis with tuberculous adrenalitis: a stitch in time saves nine.

A 40-year-old manual labourer presented with easy fatiguability, recurrent vomiting and loss of weight of 3 months, duration. Upon examination, there was significant axillary and cervical lymphadenopathy. No pallor, icterus or clubbing was evident. There was generalised hyperpigmentation and multiple oral ulcers. The blood pressure 90/60 mm Hg in the right upper limb in the supine position. Investigations showed a low serum cortisol. Mantoux test was strongly positive (20 mm).A fine needle aspiration biopsy of the cervical lymph node revealed reactive changes. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy were normal. Cervical lymph node biopsy showed caseating granulomas suggestive of tuberculous lymphadenitis. A CT scan of the abdomen showed bilaterally enlarged adrenal glands with hypodense areas suggestive of necrosis. He was diagnosed with extrapulmonary disseminated tuberculosis with tuberculous adrenalitis. He was started on directly observed therapy (DOTS) for disseminated tuberculosis and 40 mg of prednisolone. He is improving with treatment.

[Tuberculosis of the pancreas: an unsuspected cause of abdominal pain and fever]. / Tuberculosis pancreática: una causa insospechada de dolor abdominal y fiebre.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is frequently the form of presentation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection even in patients who have not developed acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Nevertheless, pancreatic affection is uncommon. Tuberculosis of the pancreas (TBP) is a clinical rarity and mimics pancreatic carcinoma both clinically and radiologically. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of a 42-year-old man with a 5-day evolution of moderate abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant and fever and vomiting without diarrhea. The patient had no history of abdominal surgery. CT scan revealed a heterogeneously enhancing, multicystic structure in the pancreatic head. Due to suspicion of malignancy, a pancreatoduodenectomy was performed with pathological result of pancreatic tuberculosis. The patient was discharged on the 10th postoperative day without surgical complications. He died 10 months later of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. By that time he had a positive serum HIV antibodies test. CONCLUSIONS: TBP diagnosis can be missed or significantly delayed because it is often not suspected prior to laparotomy unless there is evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. TBP should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a mass in the head of the pancreas. The response to early antituberculosis treatment is very effective.

Central diabetes insipidus induced by tuberculosis in a rheumatoid arthritis patient.

Tuberculosis, a polymorphic disease, is a diagnostic challenge, particularly when arises concomitantly to an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Herein, the authors describe a 33-year-old woman with nodular RA who was being treated with methotrexate, sulfasalazine and corticosteroids and presented with subcutaneous nodules simultaneously with aseptic meningitis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified in cultures from a biopsy of an axillary nodule. The patient also developed polyuria and polydipsia with normal glycemia; antidiuretic hormone (ADH) treatment before and after a 3% saline infusion test was performed and diabetes insipidus was diagnosed. An encephalic MRI showed sellar and suprasellar masses, suggesting central diabetes insipidus (CDI). The patient received standard tuberculosis (TB) treatment for 6 months and also DDAVP (desmopressin acetate) during this period. Control of CDI was observed. A pre-surgical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no pituitary mass. It is known that intrasellar tuberculoma occurs in only 1% of TB patients. TB should be considered in the differential diagnosis of CDI, especially in immunosupressed patients and in countries where this infection is a serious public health problem.

Primary thyroid tuberculosis: a rare etiology of hypothyroidism and anterior cervical mass mimicking carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The involvement of the thyroid by tuberculosis (TB) is rare. Hypothyroidism caused by tissue destruction is an extremely rare report. Our aim was to report a patient with primary thyroid TB emphasizing the importance of diagnosis, despite the rarity of the occurrence. CASE REPORT: Women, 62 years old, showing extensive cervical mass since four months, referring lack of appetite, weight loss, dysphagia and dysphonia. Laboratorial investigation revealed primary hypothyroidism. Cervical ultrasound: expansive lesion in left thyroid lobe, involving adjacent muscle. Computed tomography scan: 13 cm diameter cervical mass with central necrosis. Fine needle biopsy: hemorrhagic material. SURGERY: total thyroidectomy, left radical neck dissection and protective tracheotomy. The pathological examination showed chronic granulomatous inflammatory process with areas of caseous necrosis and lymph node involvement. The thyroid baciloscopy was positive. Pulmonary disease was absent. The patient was treated with antituberculosis drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid TB is not frequent, and should be considered as differential diagnosis of hypothyroidism and anterior cervical mass.

Primary thyroid tuberculosis: a rare etiology of hypothyroidism and anterior cervical mass mimicking carcinoma / Tuberculose tireoidiana primária: rara etiologia de hipotireoidismo e massa cervical anterior mimetizando carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: The involvement of the thyroid by tuberculosis (TB) is rare. Hypothyroidism caused by tissue destruction is an extremely rare report. Our aim was to report a patient with primary thyroid TB emphasizing the importance of diagnosis, despite the rarity of the occurrence. CASE REPORT: Women, 62 years old, showing extensive cervical mass since four months, referring lack of appetite, weight loss, dysphagia and dysphonia. Laboratorial investigation revealed primary hypothyroidism. Cervical ultrasound: expansive lesion in left thyroid lobe, involving adjacent muscle. Computed tomography scan: 13 cm diameter cervical mass with central necrosis. Fine needle biopsy: hemorrhagic material. Surgery: total thyroidectomy, left radical neck dissection and protective tracheotomy. The pathological examination showed chronic granulomatous inflammatory process with areas of caseous necrosis and lymph node involvement. The thyroid baciloscopy was positive. Pulmonary disease was absent. The patient was treated with antituberculosis drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid TB is not frequent, and should be considered as differential diagnosis of hypothyroidism and anterior cervical mass.

OBJETIVO: A tuberculose tiroidiana ocorre raramente. O hipotireoidismo decorrente da destruição tiroidiana é um relato raríssimo. Nosso objetivo foi descrever o caso de paciente com tuberculose tiroidiana primária e ressaltar a raridade e a importância da doença. RELATO DO CASO: Mulher, 62 anos, apresentando massa cervical extensa há quatro meses, associada à inapetência, à perda de peso, à disfonia e à disfagia. A investigação laboratorial mostrou hipotireoidismo primário. Ultrassonografia: lesão expansiva em lobo esquerdo, envolvendo musculatura subjacente. Tomografia computadorizada: massa heterogênea com centro necrótico, 13 cm de diâmetro. Biópsia por agulha fina: material serossanguinolento. Cirurgia: tireoidectomia, dissecção radical à esquerda e traqueostomia protetora. Exame anatomopatológico: processo inflamatório crônico granulomatoso com áreas de necrose caseosa e comprometimento linfonodal. Baciloscopia tiroidiana positiva. Ausência de comprometimento pulmonar. A paciente foi tratada com drogas antituberculosas. CONCLUSÕES: Tuberculose tireoidiana não é frequente, mas deve ser considerada como diagnóstico diferencial de hipotireoidismo e massa cervical anterior.

Tuberculosis complicating tertiary hyperparathyroidism in a patient with end-stage renal disease: a case report.

A 36-year-old Nigerian woman on thrice-weekly dialysis presented with symptoms and signs of hypercalcaemia. Laboratory findings were consistent with tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Parathyroid hormone levels remained elevated and she underwent elective parathyroidectomy. Intra-operatively all 4 parathyroid glands and local lymph nodes showed necrotising granulomas with occasional acid-fast bacilli, pathognomonic of tuberculosis (TB). Post-operatively she completed a full course of anti-TB therapy and at 9 months she experienced complete resolution in her plasma biochemistry and was essentially symptom-free. This is a rare yet fascinating cause of hypercalcaemia in a dialysis patient and is the first recorded case of tubercular involvement of parathyroid tissue in a case of tertiary hyperparathyroidism. This report demonstrates the coexistence of 2 diseases that simultaneously worsened hypercalcaemia and thus emphasises the importance of the differential diagnosis and of careful histological examination post-operation.

Tuberculous Addison's disease: morphological and quantitative evaluation with multidetector-row CT.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics of tuberculous Addison's disease on the axial and multiplanar reformatted (MPR) images of the multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The unenhanced and contrast-enhanced MDCT features in 19 patients with tuberculous Addison's disease were retrospectively assessed for the location, contour, size, calcification, attenuation, and enhancement patterns. The correlation between the duration of Addison's disease and the percentage of calcification presence was evaluated. RESULTS: The adrenal glands were infected bilaterally in all of the 19 cases (100%, 38 glands). Enlargement of the glands appeared in 18 cases (94.7%, 36 glands) and the remaining one case (5.3%, two glands) showed atrophy bilaterally. Of the 36 enlarged adrenals, 13 (36.1%) had preserved contours, and the other 23 (63.9%) were mass-like. The size of the adrenals ranged from 0.6 to 4.8 cm (mean 1.92+/-0.96 cm). Calcification was revealed in 16 adrenals (16/38, 42.1%), increasing in incidence with disease progression. Fourteen of the 36 (38.9%) enlarged adrenals showed peripheral enhancement while the remaining 22 (61.1%) demonstrated heterogeneous enhancement. The DeltaCT value, the attenuation measurement of mass-like lesions, was less in the central area (7+/-4 HU) than that in the peripheral area (32+/-14 HU) (P<0.01) between the unenhanced and contrast-enhanced scan. CONCLUSION: MDCT can reveal the characteristic morphology and CT attenuation in the tuberculous Addison's disease. Combined with its clinical presentations and biochemical findings, we can diagnose and stage adrenal tuberculosis with high specificity and accuracy on MDCT.

[69 years old male patient, with impairment of physical condition, hyperpigmentation, cutaneous lesion and a deficient response to treatment]. / Varón de 69 años con afectación del estado general, hiperpigmentación, lesión cutánea y respuesta deficiente al tratamiento.

We submit the case of a male patient, suffering from a tuberculous ethiology adrenal primary insufficiency, showing a dermal lesion, in which necrotizing granulomas were found, and from which bacterial culture growth yielded mycobacterium bovis. Given the clinical findings, and awaiting for the bacterial culture result, a triple treatment with tuberculostatics was started, but had to be discontinued because of hepatic toxicity. After culture of cutaneous biopsy yielded micobaterium tuberculosis, treatment with streptomycin, rifampicin and etambutol was restarted. Three weeks later, in spite of increasing hydrocortisone dose to 40 mg, adrenal insufficiency reappeared. Under the circumstances, we chose to continue rifampicin and double hydrocortisone dose. The case is of concern because of the concurrency of three nowadays infrequent disorders: tuberculous ethiology adrenal insufficiency, cutaneous tuberculosis due to mycobacterium bovis and primary adrenal insufficiency due to rifampicin treatment, the latter resolved after increasing hydrocortisone dose.

Adrenal tuberculosis in Cushing's disease with bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia.

Cushing's disease is a disorder of hypercortisolism caused by a pituitary micro- or macro-adenoma. Most patients with Cushing's disease have a bilateral adrenal enlargement, which depends on the duration of the disease, as a result of the long standing ACTH stimulation of both adrenal glands. However, in macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (MNH) that is caused by Cushing's disease, if the MNH gains autonomy, a bilateral adrenalectomy, as well as the removal of pituitary adenoma, is often essential. We encountered a patient diagnosed with Cushing's disease with bilateral adrenal tuberculosis simulating MNH. She had taken anti-tuberculosis medications one year prior to admission due to spinal tuberculosis. Sellar MRI revealed a pituitary macroadenoma, but adrenal CT showed enlargement in both adrenal glands that appeared to be MNH. A hormonal study and bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling revealed Cushing's disease. Therefore, she underwent trans-sphenoidal surgery of the pituitary mass. The pituitary surgery was successful and the serum cortisol returned to normal range. However, the adrenal mass rapidly enlarged after removing the pituitary tumor without showing evidence of a recurrence or adrenal autonomy of hypercortisolism. Accordingly, a laparoscopic left adrenalectomy was performed to examine the nature of the mass. The resected left adrenal gland was pathologically determined to have a lesion of tuberculosis with some part of the intact cortex. So we assumed that the cause of rapid adrenal enlargement might be due to adrenal tuberculosis. In summary, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Cushing's disease coexisting with both adrenal tuberculosis simulating a bilateral MNH.

[Adrenal tuberculosis as a cause of primary adrenal insufficiency--case report]. / Gruzlica nadnerczy przyczyna niedoczynnosci kory nadnerczy--opis przypadku.

Adrenal tuberculosis is relatively infrequent cause of primary adrenocortical insufficiency in developed countries. Adrenal involvement is most often the result of hematogenous spread of the pulmonary tuberculosis. Isolated adrenal tuberculosis, especially with enlargement of adrenal glands can cause diagnostic problems and requires differentiation from primary or secondary neoplastic disease. In this paper we present a case of 61-year-old man with several months history of adrenocortical insufficiency without signs of pulmonary tuberculosis. Computed tomography scan revealed asymmetrical mass-like enlargement in adrenal glands. Despite of consecutive investigations, the diagnosis remained uncertain. Because of the possibility of neoplastic process of unknown origin, the patient was qualified for surgical exploration during which both enlarged glands were removed. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was made on microscopic examination.

Thyroid gland tuberculosis with endolaryngeal extension: a case with laryngotracheal dyspnoea.

Tuberculosis affecting the thyroid gland is a rare condition. We present the case of a 30-year-old man with thyroid tuberculosis whose presenting complaints were dyspnoea and hoarseness. There was a cystic mass in the posterosuperior right thyroid lobe extending into the paraglottic space. There was also recurrent laryngeal nerve involvement. We performed surgery and administered post-operative antituberculous treatment.

[Addison's diseases caused by adrenal tuberculosis--case report]. / Przypadek pierwotnej niewydolnosci kory nadnerczy o etiologii gruzliczej.

A case of adrenal tuberculosis with acute Addison's disease is described. The disease manifested acute as suprarenal crisis. Metastatic and autoimmunological (antisuprarenal antibodies were not found) etiology was excluded. Computed tomography demonstrated calcifications in both, enlarged adrenals. After antituberculosis treatment and corticosteroid therapy we observed significant improvement in our patient's condition.