A Rare Case of Tubercular Osteomyelitis of Mandible in a 5-year-old Child

Tuberculosis (TB), also known as Koch's disease, is a chronic granulomatous disease typically caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). On 24^th March 1882, Dr Robert Koch discovered M. tuberculosis that caused TB. In humans, M. bovis and atypical mycobacterium may also cause this disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Report 2022, published on 27^th October 2022, the incidence of TB in India for the year 2022 is 210/100,000 population. Primarily, TB affects the pulmonary region in humans, whereas secondarily, it may affect extrapulmonary sites such as the bones and intestines via lymph nodes. In this article, we are reporting a rare case of tubercular osteomyelitis of the mandible, in which the patient reported swelling of the cheek, mimicking an odontogenic infection that led to mandibular osteomyelitis. The definitive diagnosis of tubercular osteomyelitis was made by cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CB-NAAT) when the cheesy material was found during surgical debridement and curettage of the mandible. Following that diagnosis, antitubercular treatment (ATT) was started immediately for the patient, which led to the complete resolution of the disease. The patient has been on regular follow-up for the last six months with no evidence of relapse of disease. Primary TB of the mandible is very rare, with only a few reported cases in the literature.

Khan MA, Rahman SA, Danish M, et al. A Rare Case of Tubercular Osteomyelitis of Mandible in a 5-year-old Child. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(2):202-205.