Pseudotumoral form of soft tissue tuberculosis of the hand: six cases

Musculoskeletal involvement is not uncommon in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, but the localization in the soft tissue of the hand is very rare. Diagnosis is much more difficult because of the atypical location and non-specific symptoms. We report 6 cases of pseudotumoral form of soft tissue tuberculosis of the hand treated in our department during the past 12 years. The mean age of the patients was 51 years with extremes of 44 and 63 years. A marked female predominance was observed (sex ratio = 0.2). All patients presented with swelling of the finger, two of which were painful swelling. All long fingers were involved; the thumb was involved in two cases. The histological study after excisional biopsy revealed caseating giant cell granulomas with epitheloid cells confirming the diagnosis. Antibacillary chemotherapy promoted healing and good outcome in our patients.