Multifocal tuberculosis presenting with osteoarticular and breast involvement

Breast Tuberculosis in Women: A Systematic Review

Breast tuberculosis (TB) is rarely reported and poorly described. This review aims to update the existing literature on risk factors, clinical presentations, constitutional symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and medical and surgical treatments for breast TB. In all, 1,478 cases of breast TB were collected. Previous history of TB was reported in 19% of cases. The most common clinical appearance of the lesion was breast lump (75%). The most common associated finding was axillary lymphadenitis (33%) followed by sinus or fistula (24%). The most common symptoms were pain and fever, reported in 42% and 28% of cases, respectively. The most used diagnostic method was fine-needle aspiration cytology (32%), followed by biopsy (27%), acid-fast bacteria Ziehl-Neelsen stain (26%), culture (13%), and polymerase chain reaction (2%). These tested positive in 64%, 93%, 27%, 26%, and 58% of cases, respectively. The majority (69%) of patients received a 6-month anti-TB treatment (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol). Surgery consisted of excision in 39% of cases, drainage in 23%, and mastectomy in 5%. The great majority of patients had a positive outcome. It often mimics breast cancer, which makes it difficult to diagnose. Most patients, when diagnosed in time, respond to antitubercular therapy alone.

[Multifocal tuberculosis in immunocompetent patients]

Multifocal tuberculosis is defined as the presence of lesions affecting at least two extrapulmonary sites, with or without pulmonary involvement. This retrospective study of 10 cases aims to investigate the clinical and evolutionary characteristics of multifocal tuberculosis. It included 41 cases with tuberculosis collected between 1999 and 2013. Ten patients had multifocal tuberculosis (24%): 9 women and 1 man, the average age was 50 years (30-68 years). Our patients were correctly BCG vaccinated. The evaluation of immunodepression was negative in all patients. 7 cases had lymph node tuberculosis, 3 cases digestive tuberculosis, 2 cases pericardial tuberculosis, 2 cases osteoarticular tuberculosis, 1 case brain tuberculosis, 2 cases urinary tuberculosis, 4 cases urogenital tuberculosis, 1 case adrenal tuberculosis, 1 case cutaneous and 1 case muscle tuberculosis. All patients received anti-tuberculosis treatment for a mean duration of 10 months, with good evolution. Multifocal tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose. It can affect immunocompetent patients but often has good prognosis. Anti-tuberculosis therapy must be initiated as soon as possible to avoid sequelae.

Breast and osteoarticular tuberculosis in a male patient

Breast tuberculosis is an uncommon illness. It is predominant in young women. To our knowledge, only 7 cases of tuberculous mastitis in men have been reported in the English literature since 1945. Furthermore, there are no male patients who have breast and osteoarticular tuberculosis in the literature. We presented a 41-year-old man who was admitted with a fixed tender mass in the right retromammary region and pain in the right hip. Mycobacterium tuberculosis colonies were isolated from the semisolid mass of breast. Histopathologic examination revealed caseous granulomatous infection in the right hip synovial tissue. He was treated successfully with only antituberculous drugs.