The spectrum of cytological findings in patients with BCG lymphadenitis: A series of 13 cases.

CONTEXT: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been used to prevent tuberculosis and/or its severe complications for long. BCG lymphadenitis is a common complication of the vaccine, which is sometimes subjected to cytological examination. The aim of the study is to describe the cytological findings of BCG lymphadenitis. SETTINGS: The study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in the western part of India from January 2021 to December 2022. DESIGN: The study was performed on archived material of all patients who were referred to the fine needle aspiration clinic for cytology examination. Clinical and pathological data of cases were retrieved, and cases of BCG lymphadenitis were selected in the study based on these data. Slides of cases were retrieved, and cytological findings were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Papanicolaou, Giemsa, and Hematoxylin & eosin-stained smears, as well as Ziehl-Neelson stain (Z.N. stain) smears of all BCG lymphadenitis cases, were retrieved. Cases were reviewed for individual cytological features and overall cytological diagnostic categories. Z.N. stain smears were evaluated for acid-fast bacilli. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic categories observed in BCG lymphadenitis include suppurative lymphadenitis/abscess (15 %), necrotizing lymphadenitis (23 %), necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis (46 %), suppurative granulomatous lymphadenitis (8 %), non-necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis (8 %). Acid-fast bacilli were detected by Z.N. stain in 8 cases (62 %). The cytological findings of BCG lymphadenitis closely overlap with those of tuberculous lymphadenitis. So, clinical context is very important while reporting isolated axillary lymphadenopathy, specifically in recently vaccinated infants, to avoid misdiagnosis as tuberculous lymphadenitis.

Case Report: Tuberculosis lymphadenitis with systemic lupus erythematosus in a young woman: a case report.

Background: Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease and can be categorised into pulmonary TB and extra-pulmonary TB based on its spread. TB lymphadenitis is one of the extra-pulmonary TB diseases. Patients with a weakened immune system in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased incidence of TB. Case: Here we present a case report of a 21-year-old female patient with SLE diagnosed with tuberculous lymphadenitis at dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The patient complained of a lump in the right neck 4 months ago with a diameter of 4 cm, accompanied by fever, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Other than that, the patient also experiences joint pain, hair loss and sun sensitivity since 12 months ago. Chest radiography showed no abnormalities, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy results confirmed tuberculous lymphadenitis. Antinuclear antibody test was borderline. The patient had been taking steroids and hydroxychloroquine for the past 10 months. Currently, the patient is taking the advanced phase of antituberculosis drugs FDC. After undergoing the intensive phase of antituberculosis drugs, the submandibular lump got smaller to a diameter of 2 cm. Conclusion: TB lymphadenitis is a rare case but can occur in conditions of decreased immunity like SLE. It involves some of the immune disorders caused by the long-term use of immunosuppressive therapy.

Immune thrombocytopenia associated with lymph node tuberculosis: a case report.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis associated with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is extremely rare. A likely association between ITP and pulmonary and lymph node tuberculosis was reported in a 29-year-old male patient. His platelet count decreased to 4,000/µL. Chest tomography revealed mediastinal adenomegaly, lymph node clusters in the aorta, and consolidation in the left upper lung lobe. Immunoglobulin and methylprednisolone were administered intravenously. The histopathology of the left upper lung lobe confirmed tuberculosis. The rifampicin/isoniazid/pyrazinamide/ethambutol regimen was initiated, and the corticosteroids were tapered off. This case suggests an association of tuberculosis with ITP, since the platelet count effectively normalized after tuberculosis treatment.

Hypercalcaemia in a patient with tuberculous lymphadenitis.

This case report presents the clinical details, investigations, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of a male patient in his 50s who presented with weight loss and fatigue. On evaluation, he had axillary lymphadenopathy, along with hypercalcaemia and elevated serum creatinine levels. The patient was diagnosed with tuberculous lymphadenitis based on lymph node biopsy and positive tuberculosis (TB)-PCR results. Treatment involved hydration, salmon calcitonin and zoledronic acid, leading to symptomatic improvement. This case highlights the rarity of hypercalcaemia and renal dysfunction in TB and underscores the importance of considering this entity in the differential diagnosis.

The gut microbiome: A line of defense against tuberculosis development.

The tuberculosis (TB) burden remains a significant global public health concern, especially in less developed countries. While pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is the most common form of the disease, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, particularly intestinal TB (ITB), which is mostly secondary to PTB, is also a significant issue. With the development of sequencing technologies, recent studies have investigated the potential role of the gut microbiome in TB development. In this review, we summarized studies investigating the gut microbiome in both PTB and ITB patients (secondary to PTB) compared with healthy controls. Both PTB and ITB patients show reduced gut microbiome diversity characterized by reduced Firmicutes and elevated opportunistic pathogens colonization; Bacteroides and Prevotella were reported with opposite alteration in PTB and ITB patients. The alteration reported in TB patients may lead to a disequilibrium in metabolites such as short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, which may recast the lung microbiome and immunity via the "gut-lung axis". These findings may also shed light on the colonization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the gastrointestinal tract and the development of ITB in PTB patients. The findings highlight the crucial role of the gut microbiome in TB, particularly in ITB development, and suggest that probiotics and postbiotics might be useful supplements in shaping a balanced gut microbiome during TB treatment.

A Case of Mediastinal Tuberculous Lymphadenitis in a Chronic Dialysis Patient Diagnosed by Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).

A 54-year-old woman on dialysis due to chronic renal failure had a fever lasting 2 weeks and was referred to a hospital. Non-enhanced CT and blood tests showed no remarkable findings. She was hospitalized and received an antibacterial drug. Although she was discharged after the fever subsided, she was hospitalized again due to a fever a few days later. A contrast-enhanced CT revealed mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and she was transferred to our hospital for a bronchoscopy. Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for subcarinal lymph nodes was performed in our hospital. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test of the obtained specimen was positive for mycobacterium tuberculosis, and histologically, caseous granulomas were found in the specimen. She was diagnosed with mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis, and HREZ (isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide) treatment was started. The fever subsided immediately, and she was discharged from our hospital 2 weeks after the initiation of treatment. Thereafter, she received treatment as an outpatient. Since the use of a contrast medium was complicated by dialysis, a non-enhanced CT was performed at first, and it was difficult to make a diagnosis from this. We report this as an informative case that could be diagnosed with EBUS-TBNA, which was easily performed on a patient weakened by prolonged fever and dialysis.

Atypical cutaneous tuberculosis with an unusual course.

Cutaneous tuberculosis represents the fifth extrapulmonary form in Morocco after pleural, lymph node, urogenital, and intestinal tuberculosis. It is recognized to form a continuous immunopathologic spectrum, ranging from a high intensity to a low intensity of cell-mediated immunity, which explains the multiplicity and heterogeneity of anatomo-clinical forms. Association of multiple forms in the same patient is really rare. In this regard, we report a case of scrofuloderma on axillary tuberculosis adenitis associated to a lupus vulgaris in an immunocompetent patient, which was confirmed by histology, QuantiFERON-TB Gold test, and polymerase chain reaction. He received an antituberculous therapy with clinical regression of the lesions. In conclusion, cutaneous tuberculosis is still endemic in developing countries.The diagnosis is difficult because of its clinical polymorphism. That's why it's should be suspected clinically in the presence of any destructive or verrucous skin lesion evolving without healing for a long period and confirmed by bacteriological examinations and histology.

Massive generalised lymphadenopathy: a rare presentation of tuberculosis with a favourable outcome.

We present a case of massive generalised necrotic lymphadenopathy due to tuberculosis (TB) without any solid organ involvement. An immunocompetent man in his early 30s presented 1 year ago with weight loss, cough and a solitary cervical node. Contrast-enhanced CT scan thorax showed massive enlargement of almost all groups of mediastinal nodes with large areas of necrosis. Ultrasound examination revealed multiple necrotic abdominal nodes. Core biopsy of the supraclavicular node confirmed TB by histopathology and molecular testing. His Mantoux test was negative suggesting tuberculin anergy. Biopsy of deep nodes was avoided. He responded well to standard antitubercular treatment in weight-corrected doses along with systemic steroids which were prescribed to prevent further breakdown/rupture of nodes. After the extended TB treatment for 12 months, he is asymptomatic and has gained weight, with complete resolution of cervical node and near complete resolution of all deep nodes.

Delayed diagnosis of bacterial cervical lymphadenitis in the tropics: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Lymphadenopathy refers to any disease process involving lymph nodes that are abnormal in size and consistency. There are multiple etiologies in the setting of a diseased lymph node, including conditions of infection, autoimmune diseases, and neoplasia. Lymphadenitis is a term that refers to lymphadenopathies that are due to inflammatory processes and can represent an acute bacterial infection resulting from streptococcal pharyngitis or a prior viral upper respiratory infection. Cervical lymphadenopathy refers to nodal swelling in the neck region. While cervical lymphadenitis is a common clinical finding in the setting of a transient response to a benign local or generalized infection, it may evade detection sometimes and thus account for a percentage of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis in the tropics. This case report is aimed at increasing the awareness about the presentation of bacterial cervical lymphadenitis and how it can sometimes mimic the presentation that is typical and regularly found with plasmodiasis. It contributes to improved awareness and high index of suspicion in clinic when dealing with patients in the tropics. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of delayed diagnosis of bacterial cervical lymphadenitis that initially presented with typical features of malaria from Plasmodium falciparum. A 26-year-old Nigerian woman presented to the outpatient department following complaints of a recurring fever of a month's duration and bilateral neck swelling of about 2 weeks prior to presentation. CONCLUSION: In the setting of a busy clinic, details are easily missed and salient features in the presentation of a patient that are needed for accurate diagnosis and management could go unrecognized. Hence, this case report highlights the importance of proper examination particularly of lymph nodes and use of different diagnostic modalities for the exact diagnosis of disease.

More than Mycobacterium tuberculosis: site-of-disease microbial communities, and their functional and clinical profiles in tuberculous lymphadenitis.

BACKGROUND: Lymphadenitis is the most common extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) manifestation. The microbiome is important to human health but uninvestigated in EPTB. We profiled the site-of-disease lymph node microbiome in tuberculosis lymphadenitis (TBL). METHODS: Fine-needle aspiration biopsies were collected from 158 pretreatment presumptive TBL patients in Cape Town, South Africa. 16S Illumina MiSeq rRNA gene sequencing was done. RESULTS: We analysed 89 definite TBLs (dTBLs) and 61 non-TBLs (nTBLs), which had similar α- but different ß-diversities (p=0.001). Clustering identified five lymphotypes prior to TB status stratification: Mycobacterium-dominant, Prevotella-dominant and Streptococcus-dominant lymphotypes were more frequent in dTBLs whereas a Corynebacterium-dominant lymphotype and a fifth lymphotype (no dominant taxon) were more frequent in nTBLs. When restricted to dTBLs, clustering identified a Mycobacterium-dominant lymphotype with low α-diversity and non-Mycobacterium-dominated lymphotypes (termed Prevotella-Corynebacterium, Prevotella-Streptococcus). The Mycobacterium dTBL lymphotype was associated with HIV-positivity and features characteristic of severe lymphadenitis (eg, larger nodes). dTBL microbial communities were enriched with potentially proinflammatory microbial short-chain fatty acid metabolic pathways (propanoate, butanoate) vs nTBLs. 11% (7/61) of nTBLs had Mycobacterium reads BLAST-confirmed as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. CONCLUSIONS: TBL at the site-of-disease is not microbially homogeneous. Distinct microbial community clusters exist that, in our setting, are associated with different clinical characteristics, and immunomodulatory potentials. Non-Mycobacterium-dominated dTBL lymphotypes, which contain taxa potentially targeted by TB treatment, were associated with milder, potentially earlier stage disease. These investigations lay foundations for studying the microbiome's role in lymphatic TB. The long-term clinical significance of these lymphotypes requires prospective validation.

Multifocal cutaneous tuberculosis coexisting with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and it can affect multiple organ systems. Cutaneous TB, a less common type of extrapulmonary TB can coexist with TB of other organs. Here, we describe a case of multifocal cutaneous TB suggestive of two different morphological types with concomitant miliary pulmonary TB.

Screening performance of C-reactive protein for active pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-positive patients: A systematic review with a meta-analysis.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of mortality worldwide. In the last years, resistant strains of the etiological agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, have emerged, thus demanding more triage tests to identify active pulmonary TB (PTB) patients and to evaluate their disease severity. Therefore, acute-phase reaction serum tests are required for monitoring TB patients, among WHO symptom screening recommendations. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a non-specific inflammatory biomarker that has been recently proposed for TB screening and can be quantitatively analyzed through cost-effective point-of-care assays. A previous meta-analysis found CRP to be highly sensitive and moderately specific for active PTB with confirmed HIV infection. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis update of diagnostic tests, pooling sensitivities, and specificities in order to assess the accuracy of CRP as a potential test for the screening of HIV-associated PTB in outpatients. We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, and SCOPUS for eligible articles before 19 October 2021. Results: We identified 13 eligible studies with HIV-positive patients with PTB. At a CRP threshold of 10 mg/L, CRP pooled sensitivity was 87% (76%-93%) and pooled specificity was 67% (49%-81%), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.858. Using a CRP threshold of 8 mg/L, pooled sensitivity was 82% (72%-89%) and pooled specificity was 82% (67%-92%), with an AUC of 0.879. We found that CRP has a high sensitivity in the screening of PTB in HIV-positive outpatients, consistent with findings reported previously. Conclusions: Regardless of pooled specificity, better results were found using the CRP threshold of 8 mg/L as a test screening of PTB, meeting the need of further approaching specific TB diagnostic methods and reducing resource consumption.

The Clinical Utility of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Discriminatory Test among Bacterial, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, and Nontuberculous Mycobacterium Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis.

Background: Distinguishing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) and nontuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) from bacterial peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis (peritonitis) is often very challenging and can lead to a significant delay in diagnosis and treatment. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is readily calculable and has been shown to be useful in differentiating pulmonary TB from bacterial pneumonia. We are the first group to demonstrate the predictive efficacy of peritoneal dialysate (PDE) NLR in distinguishing TB/NTM peritonitis from bacterial causes in the PD population. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and laboratory characteristics of all patients with TB/NTM peritonitis, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) peritonitis, and culture-negative peritonitis in our tertiary center between July 2000 and July 2020. The diagnostic ability of the blood and PDE NLR for differential diagnosis was evaluated. Results: In total, 258 episodes, 38 episodes, and 27 episodes were caused by MSSA, TB, and NTM species, respectively; 364 episodes were culture negative. The PDE NLR level taken at presentation were lowest in the TB peritonitis, followed by the NTM, culture-negative, and MSSA groups, (9.44±13.01, 16.99±23.96, 36.63±32.33, 48.51±36.01; P<0.001, respectively). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the NLR taken at presentation was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.77 to 0.89; P<0.001). A PDE NLR <15 was an optimal cut-off value with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of 81%, 70%, 97%, and 22%, respectively. Conclusions: The PDE NLR obtained at presentation is a useful and easily accessible marker to discriminate TB/NTM peritonitis from bacterial peritonitis, especially in areas with intermediate TB/NTM burden. The NLR may enable early prompting of TB/NTM peritonitis, allowing specific investigation and treatment to be instigated earlier.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis and COVID-19 infection coexisting in concurrent necrotising fasciitis with deep space infection of neck: an unusual presentation.

Ludwig's angina is a rapidly spreading, potentially fatal infection of deep fascial spaces of the neck leading to airway oedema and death. This, in recent times when associated with COVID-19 infection, possess treatment challenges making the patient susceptible to opportunistic infections with reduced healing potential. Owing to the multifactorial aetiology in our case and addressing them at the earliest, it is important to achieve favourable outcomes. The space infection that seeded with untreated trivial dental caries progressed to necrotising fasciitis of neck with mycobacterial growth on cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test for tuberculosis testing. The presence of Mycobacterium organisms should be speculated in patients with pulmonary signs of tuberculosis (TB) because a suppurative TB lymphadenitis of neck could also have the same presentation. The decisive moment in successful outcome was identification of mycobacteria in COVID-19 infected patient, thereby allowing to initiate the antitubercular therapy along with surgical debridement. Thus, medical management of patient with cohabiting infections is difficult task and needs appropriate addressal.

Disseminated tuberculosis following invasive procedures for peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis with portal vein obstruction: a case report.

Peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenopathy can mimic pancreatic cancer on imaging. There have only a few reports on varices from portal vein obstruction due to abdominal tuberculous lymphadenopathy. Iatrogenic disseminated tuberculosis is also rare. Herein, we present a rare case of peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenopathy with ruptured duodenal varices due to portal vein obstruction. The patient presented to our hospital with hematemesis. Computed tomography revealed a peripancreatic mass. Duodenal varices rupture from portal vein obstruction due to pancreatic cancer were initially suspected. The patient underwent portal vein stenting for portal vein obstruction and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for diagnosis, which revealed granulomas indicative of tuberculosis. The patient was discharged once because fine-needle aspiration did not lead to a definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis. Subsequently, he developed disseminated tuberculosis. Peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenopathy can cause ectopic varices with portal vein obstruction. Tuberculosis should also be included in the differential diagnosis in the case of portal vein obstruction, to facilitate early treatment and avoid unnecessary surgery. Furthermore, fine-needle aspiration or portal vein stenting for tuberculous lesions can cause disseminated tuberculosis. Since a diagnosis might not be made until after several fine-needle aspirations have been conducted, careful follow-up is necessary after the procedure for such lesions.

Concurrence of cat-scratch disease and paradoxical tuberculosis-IRIS lymphadenopathy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterial infections can cause significant morbidity when cellular immunity is compromised. Patients with AIDS can be affected directly from infection or through mycobacterial IRIS, especially if they are previously untreated for HIV. Herein a case of tuberculous lymphadenitis is reported, which primarily responded to antimicrobials but complicated by IRIS and cat-scratch disease at a later course. CASE PRESENTATION: A 23-year-old man, intravenous drug user with untreated HIV and HCV infection presented with fever and painful cervical lymphadenopathy. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from PCR and culture of ultrasound-guided lymph node aspirate and a four-drug anti-TB regimen was subsequently administered, leading to complete resolution of clinical and laboratory abnormalities. Given the patient's CD4 count (67 cells per mm3), antiretroviral treatment started seven weeks after TB treatment initiation. Within the first month of ART fever recurred along with cervical lymph node inflammation. Paradoxical IRIS was considered as the most probable diagnosis but workup expanded, revealing acute Bartonella infection. A posteriori, the patient remembered being scratched by a stray cat two weeks before his new symptoms started. Doxycycline and corticosteroid monotherapy failed to resolve symptoms, whereas a combination of doxycycline for 3 months and methylprednisolone with long-term tapering led to negative follow-up Bartonella antibodies and complete clinical and biochemical response, without recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Co-infection with TB and Bartonella presenting with lymphadenitis is unusual. Cat-scratch disease can be a rare clinical presentation of Bartonella infection in patients with AIDS, but coexistence of bartonellosis and paradoxical IRIS has never been reported before. However, physicians treating people living with HIV should be aware of this potential concurrence. Early testing for Bartonella infection could be offered in patients with TB and HIV co-infection in case of acute deterioration or partial response to treatment, especially if they have a history of cat exposure, since clinical picture can be indistinguishable.