Tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess with Pott disease and tuberculous abscess of the chest wall: A case report

Unmasking the Hidden Invader: A case report of chest wall tuberculosis presenting as an abscess

Chest wall tuberculosis is a very rare clinical entity that accounts for 1-5% of musculoskeletal tuberculosis (TB). Here we present a case of chest wall TB. A 16-year-old boy presented with complaints of progressive increasing swelling over the right hemithorax following a history of trauma. Radiologically it was a localized liquid collection with no connection to the thoracic cavity. Pus sample was sent to the mycobacteriology laboratory. The Gene Xpert result came as positive, and sensitive to rifampicin while the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear test was negative. Diagnosing a case of chest wall TB is always challenging for clinicians.

Tuberculosis of the Cervical Vertebrae With Retropharyngeal and Parapharyngeal Abscesses Due to Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in an Adult: A Report of a Rare Case

Tuberculosis is a disease with presentations both in the lungs and at other extrapulmonary sites. While pulmonary tuberculosis constitutes a significant proportion of total tuberculosis cases, extrapulmonary cases with infections at rare sites are also documented. Herein, an exceedingly rare case of tuberculosis of the cervical vertebrae with retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses due to Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a young Indian male is presented. The rarity of the locations of the lesions with coinfections with two bacteria made the diagnosis challenging. Besides, the potential for a retropharyngeal abscess to compress the airway is an emergency situation. However, the ultimate diagnosis was achieved with the help of a radiograph of the neck, contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the neck, fine-needle aspiration cytology, and a cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test. He was initiated on appropriate antibiotics and antituberculous chemotherapy per his weight.

A Timely Burst: Tuberculous Retropharyngeal Abscess

Tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. We describe an immunocompetent teenager who has her tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess ruptured and then diagnosis confirmed by the presence of acid-fast bacilli from the gastric lavage.

Two cases of tuberculous retropharyngeal abscess in adults

Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is an acute or chronic deep neck tissue infection. Tuberculous RPA is chronic and extremely rare in adults. A 20-year-old female patient visited the local hospital due to cough and sputum. The sputum smear was positive for acid-fast staining, and lung computed tomography (CT) indicated pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The patient received the standard regimen of isoniazid+rifampicin+pyrazinamide+ethambutol (HRZE) for 6 months. After HRZE, pulmonary symptoms improved, but some pharyngeal discomfort remained. In another case, a 25-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital because of a mass on the left side of his neck. Lymph node TB was considered after a puncture biopsy. Lung CT showed no obvious abnormality. After HRZE for 5 months, the mass had progressively enlarged. Both patients underwent B-ultrasonography-guided puncture, and Xpert® MTB/RIF of the abscess was positive and rifampin-sensitive. Tuberculous RPA was diagnosed and treated with isoniazid+rifampicin (HR) for 12 months. After combination anti-TB therapy and surgical drainage, both patients fully recovered. Tuberculous RPA is rare in adults; because of pharyngeal symptoms or progressive enlargement of a neck mass with anti-TB treatment, clinicians need to suspect tuberculous RPA in adults, which is treated with anti-TB therapy and surgery.

Remarkable Response of Toripalimab Combined with Chemotherapy in Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of Palatine Tonsil: A Case Report

Background

Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SaCa) of the palatine tonsil is a rare and aggressive subset of head and neck (H&N) cancer which is characterized by insensitivity to surgery and radiotherapy and a poor prognosis. Immunotherapy has led advances in the treatment of melanoma and H&N cancer, but the combined effects of immunotherapy and chemotherapy have not been sufficiently investigated.

Case Presentation

Herein, we report the case of 29-year-old Chinese women with local advanced non-resectable SaCa of the palatine tonsil who exhibited a substantial partial response to toripalimab and chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of its successful application in this context.

Conclusion

Toripalimab combined with chemotherapy may be an effective approach for locally advanced H&N cancer in rare categories of patients, which was the first application as far as we know.

Central nervous system and spinal cord tuberculosis: Revisiting an important disease

Tuberculosis is a worldwide pandemic. Estimated that about 25% humans are colonized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and about 1% are believed to develop the infection in the central nervous system (CNS-TB). Given the importance of this disease and its high levels of morbidity and mortality, it is imperative that every radiologist must be reminded of the most common findings of CNS-TB as there are several related differential diagnoses for this disease. The most common form CNS-TB is tuberculous meningitis (TBM), characterized mostly by basal meningitis, but infarction, hydrocephalus and tuberculomas could be present. Intracerebral tuberculosis is characterized by tuberculomas that can have different imaging features according to their stage. Vascular and spinal complications of tuberculosis are also reported. This review compiles the classic and unusual findings regarding CNS-TB together with new diagnostic scores in which neuroimaging have an important role.

Atypical Retropharyngeal Abscess of Tuberculosis: Diagnostic Reasoning, Management, and Treatment

Retropharyngeal abscess caused by tuberculosis (TB) is an unusual life-threatening disease. We present the case of a patient, mainly complaining about dysphagia, cephalalgia, and neck pain. History, examination, and laboratory data were inconclusive. Diagnostic imaging revealed retropharyngeal abscess with atypical characteristics. Aspiration through the pharynx was performed. The aspirated fluid sent for microscopic examination by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gene probe, revealed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Subsequently, the patient was treated with a standard nine-month anti-TB chemotherapy. The combination of fine-needle aspiration and antitubercular agents was successful. The aim of the present study is to inform the importance of early diagnosis with targeted therapy.

Multiple subcutaneous tuberculous abscesses in a dermatomyositis patient without pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Even though remarkable progress for diagnostics of pulmonary TB has been made, it is still a challenge to establish a definitive diagnosis for extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) in clinical practice. Among all the presentations of EPTB, cold abscesses are unusual and deceptive, which are often reported in the chest wall and spine. Subcutaneous abscess in the connective tissue of limbs is extremely rare.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 48-year-old man with dermatomyositis was hospitalized because of multiple subcutaneous tuberculous abscesses in his limbs, but without pulmonary tuberculosis. Particularly, one insidious abscess appeared during anti-TB treatment due to "paradoxical reaction". After routine anti-TB therapy, local puncture drainage and surgical resection, the patient was cured and discharged.

CONCLUSIONS

Tuberculous infection should be kept in mind for the subcutaneous abscess of immunocompromised patients, even without previous TB history. Treatment strategy depends on the suppurating progress of abscess lesions. Meanwhile, complication of newly-developed insidious abscess during treatment should be vigilant.

Tubercular Retropharyngeal Abscess With Pott's Disease in an Elderly Male Patient

Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is a life-threatening emergency due to its potential to cause airway compression. It is rare in the elderly and occurs mostly in immunocompromised patients, or as a complication of instrumentation. We are reporting the case of a 70-year-old male who presented with sudden onset breathing difficulty with a history of dysphagia for three months. The clinical examination revealed a bulge in the posterior pharyngeal wall. A lateral-view radiograph of neck revealed retropharyngeal soft tissue density with carious spine. The patient was successfully treated by trans-oral incision and drainage of the abscess under local anesthesia. Diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed by positive acid-fast staining and cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT). The patient improved significantly following the initiation of anti-tubercular therapy.