[Tuberculoma of the mediastinal lymph nodes with spinal caries]

A 65-year-old male presented with a chief complaint of back pain. Chest computed tomography (CT) demonstrated partially calcified enlargements of the anterior mediastinal lymph nodes and pleural effusion in both lungs. His spondylous lesion rapidly progressed and developed into quadriparesis approximately 2 months after he noticed the back pain. We could not determine whether the lesion was an invasion of the spinal cord by a carcinoma of unknown primary or malignant lymphomas. Therefore, we performed a lymph node biopsy using a thoracoscope for a definitive diagnosis. Histopathology showed tuberculoma with epithelioid cell growth and images of previous scars. However, the staining method for tubercle bacillus did not reveal the presence of tubercle bacillus. As in this case, not all cases of tuberculoma present tubercle bacillus. Therefore, even with poor, suspicious findings for tuberculosis, we should always consider tuberculosis. Old tuberculoma may relapse and rapidly progress. Therefore, we concluded that a biopsy should be performed when tuberculoma is suspected.