Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis mimicking metastatic lymph node from papillary thyroid carcinoma. Case report

Cervical lymph nodes represent one of the most frequent clinical symptoms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Their appearance in a neoplastic suggests lymph node metastasis. We report an atypical tuberculous lymphadenetis mimicking lymph node metastasis in a 42-year-old patient followed for papillary thyroid carcinoma operated and treated by iodine 131 therapy. Evolution was marked by the appearance of left cervical adenopathies suggesting lymph node metastatic extension on echographic criteria. A lymph node excision was undertaken and the pathologic study revealed a tuberculous lymphadenitis. The patient was put under antibacillary treatment and evolution was satisfactory. We also expose, through this work, a certain number of techniques of exploration likely to ascertain the diagnosis of a tuberculous lymphadenitis and to monitor the therapeutic strategy. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.