Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cervical Adenitis: Diagnosis and Management

Cervical adenopathy as the sole presentation of tuberculosis is seen infrequently in the pediatric age group. Despite modern treatment and public health measures, tuberculous cervical adenitis persists, and its prompt diagnosis and treatment are important from both a clinical and preventive health perspective. The authors report five cases of children with ages ranging from 8 to 17 years, in whom cervical adenitis was the only presentation of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The clinical presentation and methods of diagnosis and treatment are described, and the difficulty of differentiation between infections with M. tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections is stressed. Tuberculous cervical adenitis should be considered in cases of an elusive diagnosis of a cervical mass in the pediatric patient.