Tuberculous Axillary Lymphadenopathy: A Case Report

Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for a high burden of disease and estimated to affect one third of the world population with most in developing countries [1]. Extra pulmonary TB accounts for about 7-30% of TB cases and lymphadenitis accounts for 17-43% of cases. Cervical lymph nodes constitute the most common site of involvement with axillary nodes affected in 3.8-20.3% of tuberculous lymphadenitis [1,2]. Isolated axillary tuberculous lymphadenitis is rare and described in patients without previous or active pulmonary TB and no evidence of the origin of TB detected elsewhere [3,4]. Tuberculous lymphadenitis presents as a painless, slowly progressive swelling of a single group of nodes and in 85% of cases involvement is unilateral [5]. It may resemble breast carcinoma or exist both at the same time resulting in diagnostic and therapeutic challenges [1,6]. Confirmation of diagnosis is by histology [4]. We present this case of a primary axillary tuberculous lymphadenopathy in a healthy 26-year-old seronegative female with no evidence of previous or active pulmonary TB and no evidence of TB detected elsewhere in the body.