Acute tuberculous abscess of the thyroid gland

The authors are presenting our experience of managing an interesting case of a 28-year-old woman who presented to our clinic with a midline neck swelling of 1-month duration. There was a rapid increase in the degree of swelling associated with erythema, pain and fever 7 days before seeking medical help. Plain and contrast-enhanced CT scans of the neck were done. Diagnosis of acute suppurative abscess was made and the patient underwent emergency incision and drainage. Histopathological examination of the abscess wall showed epitheloid and Langhans' giant cells. The findings were suggestive of tuberculosis. Subsequently, a positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was obtained on Lowenstein-Jenson medium. The patient was started on antituberculous chemotherapy for 6 months. On a 6-month clinical follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and euthyroid. We discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of this case as well as a review of the literature.