Beyond the norm: Primary multidrug-resistant extrapulmonary tuberculosis unveiled in a case series

Tuberculosis is a preventable and generally curable infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mostly affects the lungs causing pulmonary tuberculosis; however, it may also involve non-pulmonary organs resulting in extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). Diagnosis of tuberculosis was based on the constitutional symptoms, organ-specific radiographs, and biological specimen examination. However, diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis can be difficult when the lungs are not affected and constitutional signs and symptoms of tuberculosis that can help to identify the disease are absent. Although multi-drug-resistant extrapulmonary tuberculosis is not uncommon, primary drug-resistant extrapulmonary tuberculosis in certain areas such as the extraspinal osteoarticular joint, tympanic membrane, and central nervous system is still rare. In this piece, we present three cases of primary multidrug-resistant extrapulmonary tuberculosis with an unusual presentation.