METHODS: A 47-year-old male with swelling over the patella and associated pain, subsiding with medicines but recurring after a few days. Diagnosed as prepatellar bursitis by the family physician, it eventually turns out to be osteomyelitis of the patella. Treated with curettage, biopsy, and placement of bio-composite mixed with antibiotics. Intra-operative findings and histopathology confirmed tuberculosis of the patella. On follow-up after 6 years and the completion of anti-tuberculosis treatment, the patient showed full functional and radiological recovery without recurrence.
CONCLUSIONS: Early treatment with antibiotics and surgery gives excellent results. Identifying it as a tuberculous osteomyelitis is challenging when the condition is closely resembles pre-patellar bursitis.

UNASSIGNED: Tuberculosis is prevalent in African countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV/AIDS is common. While Testicular tuberculosis is uncommon in the young as well as the elderly, pulmonary tuberculosis is commonly observed in these populations. History, physical examination, scrotal ultrasonography, and fine needle biopsy are important in diagnosis of suspected cases of testicular tuberculosis. Anti-TB therapy is the mainstay of treatment to ensure complete resolution of the lesion. However, in a few cases, orchidectomy is required for both diagnosis and treatment. When treating testicular tuberculosis, it is crucial to do a thorough assessment and investigations to exclude testicular malignancy because tuberculosis can present similarly to a testicular tumor.
METHODS: We report a rare case of right sided isolated testicular tuberculosis in a 45-year-old male who came with right sided testicular pain and swelling. Blood workups and testicular tumor markers were all normal, scrotal ultrasound reported right heterogenous testicular mass with avascular areas of necrosis and septated fluid collections in the tunica vaginalis with features suggestive of testicular tumor. Right orchiectomy through inguinal approach was done, findings included testicular mass with pus pockets and caseous necrosis occupying the whole testis. Specimen was sent for histopathology which revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation, most likely tuberculosis, and ZN stain confirmed the diagnosis of testicular tuberculosis. In accordance with national TB guidelines, the patient had anti-TB medication for six months, and after 12-months serial follow-up, the patient had completely recovered.
UNASSIGNED: Genitourinary tuberculosis is the second most common form of extrapulmonary TB after lymph node tuberculosis. 0.5 % of genitourinary TB involves the testes; On the other hand, isolated testicular TB as presented in our patient, is extremely uncommon, thus may mimic other testicular conditions including testicular tumor, so the diagnosis is challenging. It is important to accurately diagnose testicular TB and differentiate it from other scrotal pathologies especially testicular malignancy as the management is totally different. Testicular tuberculosis is diagnosed by tissue Cytology using FNAC or after an orchidectomy. It requires early, regular, full course combined anti-tuberculosis treatment. The drug treatment method uses three to four anti-tuberculosis drugs for 6-9 months. Surgical treatment is necessary if there is no response to drug treatment or in cases of abscess formation.
CONCLUSIONS: Testicular TB is a curable disease, but its diagnosis remains challenging. It is often missed owing to its non- specific symptoms. Thus, testicular TB should be suspected in patients with a notion of contagion or history of tuberculosis. Some of the radiological features are highly suggestive of testicular TB. FNAB could prevent unnecessary orchidectomy. In our case, the presentation was typically mimicking a testicular cancer and the patient underwent trans inguinal orchiectomy, and histology and ZN stain confirmed the diagnosis followed by subsequent six-month anti TB therapy.

We report a case of 32-year-old patient who presented with painless erythematous plaque gradually ulcerated for 9 years. He had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis 12 years ago and was cured by the treatment of 2HRZE/4HR. The laboratory examination of t-spot and PPD skin test was positive. Histopathology examinations of left cervical lymph node as well as skin revealed granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis. A diagnosis of scrofuloderma was made. Negative sputum culture and chest CT scan results excluded pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient was treated with a standard antituberculosis therapy and recovered well after 5 months\' follow-up. Scrofuloderma is a rare manifestation of mycobacterial infection. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important.

The special blood circulation, anatomy, and tissue structure of the spine may lead to significant differences in pathological features and drug resistance between spinal tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Here, we collected 168 spinal tuberculosis cases and 207 pulmonary tuberculosis cases, and compared their clinical and pathological features as well as drug resistance. From the anatomical location, the highest incidence was of lumbar tuberculosis, followed by thoracic tuberculosis. PET-CT scans showed increased FDG uptake in the diseased vertebrae, discernible peripheral soft tissue shadow, visible internal capsular shadow, and an abnormal increase in FDG uptake. MRI showed infectious lesions in the diseased vertebral body, formation of paravertebral and bilateral psoas muscle abscess, and edema of surrounding soft tissues. As with control tuberculosis, the typical pathological features of spinal tuberculosis were chronic granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis. The incidence of granulomas was not statistically different between the groups. However, the proportions of caseous necrosis, acute inflammation, abscess, exudation, and granulation tissue formation in the spinal tuberculosis group were all significantly increased relative to the control tuberculosis group. Compared to the control tuberculosis group, the incidences of resistance to rifampicin (RFP) + isoniazid (INH) + streptomycin (STR) and INH + ethambutol (EMB) were lower in the spinal tuberculosis group, while the incidences of resistance to RFP + INH + EMB and RFP + EMB were higher. Moreover, we also found some differences in drug-resistance gene mutations. In conclusion, there are noticeable differences between spinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis in pathological characteristics, drug resistance, and drug resistance gene mutations.

Background Tuberculous effusions are common. Classically, they are described as bacteria poor and lymphocyte rich. Our experience, however, has been more varied. We compiled this rare group of bacteria-positive tuberculous fluids to document their cytologic spectrum and to look for possible predictors of bacillary positivity. Methods Fifty-one cases of bacillary positive fluids were identified and their clinicopathological details were noted. Per case, the smear background was assigned as either clear, caseous, suppurative, granular proteinaceous or frankly hemorrhagic. Fine, punched-out vacuoles in the smear background were also noted. The bacillary load in each case was classified from scanty to 3+. Eventually, the clinicopathologic variables were tabulated for frequency and studied for any association with bacillary presence. Results Only 19 of the 51 patients had a history of tuberculosis. Retropositive patients comprised a small proportion (9.8%) and did not always indicate strong (3+) bacillary positivity. The granular proteinaceous background was the most frequent (35%) pattern. Only a suppurative background was associated with strong bacillary positivity. Fine vacuoles were seen almost always with caseous and granular proteinaceous backgrounds but without statistical significance. Conclusion Tuberculous effusions can have diverse smear backgrounds, not necessarily one rich in caseous material. When tuberculosis is known or clinically suspected, non-classical findings such as abundant neutrophils or suppurative background should not dissuade one from requisitioning mycobacterial stains. In fact, acid-fast stains should probably routinely accompany Giemsa slides of clinically idiopathic effusions in endemic areas since it is still the cheapest and fastest method for a conclusive diagnosis.

Tuberculosis is a real public health problem in developing countries. The aim of our article was to study the epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic characteristics of female genital tuberculosis in Togo. This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study on all cases concerning histologically diagnosed female genital tuberculosis in the department of pathological anatomy of Lomé in 1997-2018 (20 years). We collected 22 cases of women\'s Genital tuberculosis (GT), representing 2.2% (1008 cases) of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. The mean age of the patients was 33.8 ± 0.2 years. Nine (9) patients had a history of treated GT. Depending on the location, the ovaries and fallopian tubes were the most affected (n=9 cases, 40.9%). Eighteen patients (81.8%) had at least one immunosuppression factor including HIV in 13 patients (72.2%). The reasons for consultation were metrorrhagia and pelvic pain with an associated mass in 7 women discovered on clinical examination and imaging. The macroscopic appearance of the specimens was suggestive of the diagnosis of genital tuberculosis in 12 cases (54.5%). Histology revealed caseous necrosis isolated in 3 patients (13.6%) and associated with gigantocellular epithelioid granulomas in 19 patients (86.4%). The patients received standard antibiotic treatment combining rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. Genital tuberculosis is a rare extra-pulmonary location in Togo, often occurring in women with HIV, and the clinical polymorphism can lead to confusion with gynecological cancers.

Neck masses are a very common clinical problem and it remains a diagnostic challenge due to multiple differential diagnoses ranging from benign to severe etiologies. All physicians should equip themselves with knowledge of common and locally prevalent causes of neck masses and manage them accordingly. We present a case of a young patient with no prior medical history who developed cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis. We discuss the physical examination, evolution, diagnosis, and treatment of the case.

UNASSIGNED: The lack of knowledge regarding osteoarticular tuberculosis (TB) cases in Indonesia leads to delayed and chronic conditions. This study aims to evaluate clinical outcomes of patients with osteoarticular TB.
UNASSIGNED: Thirty osteoarticular cases were retrospectively analyzed, with a focus on non-immunocompromised patients without spine involvement. Chemotherapy length, operative treatment method, and infection recurrence were evaluated.
UNASSIGNED: The majority (60%) of patients were aged between 19 to 49 years. The most common complaint was painful swelling, particularly during physical activity. Weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees, and ankles, were the most affected. Laboratory results showed over half of the patients had anemia, 96% had elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and 76% had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Radiological findings varied, with lytic lesions, abscesses, and joint destruction observed. All patients presented with pathognomonic histological tubercle appearances, with caseous necrosis, lymphocytes, and Langhans giant cells present. Twenty-nine cases were treated with anti-TB drugs for 12 months, while one recurrent case received the drugs for 24 months. All patients underwent surgery to gain local infection control.
UNASSIGNED: Osteoarticular TB is a common manifestation of extrapulmonary TB and must not be overlooked. Early detection of osteoarticular TB may prevent limb morbidity. Although anti-TB drugs are the primary treatment for osteoarticular TB, in some cases, surgery is required to establish a diagnosis and gain local infection control.

Tuberculoma is a well-circumscribed, space-occupying lesion. However, the involvement of peripheral nerves is rare. Here, we report a rare case of left ulnar nerve tuberculoma managed by surgical exploration and tangential excision of tuberculoma lesion sparing, most of the nerve fibers followed by antitubercular treatment. The patient responded well to the management strategy with improvement in motor and sensory activity of the affected limb.

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced valvular heart disease (DI-VHD) is a well-defined condition associated with specific pathology features. However, clinical presentations may broadly vary and thereby make DI-VHD diagnosis more challenging.
METHODS: We report two patients with a history of benfluorex administration, who developed extensive mitral calcific lesions which evolved towards caseous necrosis.
CONCLUSIONS: Prospective follow-up over several years of these two patients who initially had typical DI-VHD findings provided monitoring evidence of extensive calcifications and subsequent caseous necrosis. These reports suggest a link between calcific heart injury and benfluorex exposure. The diagnosis of DI-VHD may be overlooked at this late stage.