Rare Presentation of Tuberculosis Mimicking Malignancy

Tuberculosis is one of the most common infectious diseases that has a varied presentation and can affect most of the organs of the body. Differentiating disseminated tuberculosis with minimal symptoms from malignancy is difficult and makes the diagnosis challenging. No single test can be earmarked to diagnose tuberculosis and multiple investigations are mostly required. Here, we would like to discuss a rare case of a young male with mild symptoms who, on initial investigations, was provisionally diagnosed as having a metastatic disease, but detailed investigations proved it to be a case of disseminated tuberculosis. Through this case, we learn that radiological images alone cannot help in diagnosing even a common disease like tuberculosis. A complete workup helped in differentiating malignancy from tuberculosis in this mildly symptomatic patient.