A review of 23 patients with tuberculosis of the head and neck.
OBJECTIVE
to review the clinical features and management of tuberculosis of the head and neck and to identify those features which may aid diagnosis.


METHODS
retrospective study.


METHODS
teaching hospital, England, UK.


METHODS
Twenty-three patients with tuberculosis of the head and neck diagnosed by culture of specimens obtained by fine needle biopsy (n = 8) or by open biopsy of the lumps in the neck (n = 15) who presented between 1990 and 1993.


METHODS
methods of diagnosis and management.


RESULTS
thirteen of the 23 patients (57%) presented with either a fluctuant mass or a discharging sinus in the neck. Nine (39%) had uncomplicated enlarged lymph nodes and 12 (55%) had systemic symptoms. The supraclavicular region was the most common site (n = 11) and 8 of these 11 had abnormalities in the chest radiograph. In 3 patients the disease was resistant to treatment with standard antituberculous treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
atypical mycobacterial lymphadenitis is usually resistant to standard antituberculous treatment, so it is essential to obtain a microbiological diagnosis. Excision is usually the treatment of choice for such patients.
Penfold
C N
CN
Oral and Facial Surgery Unit, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Rhyl, UK.
Revington
P J
PJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002968:Clavicle; D017577:Cutaneous Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D009333:Neck; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D000995:Antitubercular Agents