Cutaneous tuberculosis, tuberculosis verrucosa cutis

• Main Authors: Nilamani Mohanty, Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2014-01-01
• Series: Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil University
• Subjects: Antitubercular therapy; Cutaneous tuberculosis; ZN stain
• Online Access: http://www.mjdrdypu.org/article.asp?issn=0975-2870;year=2014;volume=7;issue=1;spage=53;epage=55;aulast=Mohanty

Cutaneous tuberculosis because of its variability in presentation, wider differential diagnosis, and difficulty in obtaining microbiological confirmation continues to be the most challenging to diagnose for dermatologists in developing countries. Despite the evolution of sophisticated techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay (ELISA), the sensitivity of new methods are not better than the isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosum in culture. Even in the 21 st century, we rely on methods as old as the intradermal reaction purified protein derivative standard test and therapeutic trials, as diagnostic tools. We describe a case which has been diagnosed and treated as eczema by renowned physicians for 2 years. Incisional biopsy showed the presence of well-defined granulomas and ZN staining of the biopsy specimen showed the presence of acid fast bacilli; a trial of ATT (antitubercular therapy) for 6 months lead to permanent cure of the lesion.