Tuberculous adenitis from Mycobacterium bovis: a case report

Introduction. Tuberculous lymphadenitis, which currently is most often caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was once mainly caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Objective. To describe an unusual case of tuberculous adenitis from Mycobacterium bovis. Case report. A woman with a history of consuming raw milk and unsupervised dairy home-made products presents with cervical adenitis of 5 month course unassociated to other symptoms. A diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis tuberculous adenitis was made by biopsy, ELISA, PCR and culture. Discussion. Approximately 11 to 25% of all TB cases are extrapulmonary exclusively. Cervical lymphadenitis is the most common presentation of peripheral disease. Treatment usually is based on four drugs. Surgery is indicated for diagnostic procedures and complications. Conclusion. Mycobacterium bovis infection is uncommon in our environment, but must be considered in the diagnostic evaluation of all patients with cervical adenitis and epidemiological correlations.