A Young Man With Tuberculosis in the Neck Soft Tissue: A Case Report

TL;DR

A 28-year-old man was diagnosed with soft tissue tuberculosis in his neck after initial misdiagnosis, highlighting the need for high TB suspicion in atypical cases.

Contribution

This case report emphasizes the diagnostic challenges of atypical soft tissue tuberculosis and the importance of early suspicion.

Findings

The patient had a soft tissue mass in the neck with redness and tenderness for months.

Diagnosis was confirmed through laboratory tests after initial imaging misjudgment.

Routine anti-TB treatment led to the patient's recovery.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and curable disease. TB characteristically causes lung infections, giving rise to pulmonary TB. Many extra-pulmonary organs, including soft tissues, may also be affected, often resulting in non-specific clinical features that make disease diagnosis difficult. We present the case of a 28-year-old male who presented with a soft tissue mass in the left neck accompanied by local redness and tenderness for several months. Despite initially erroneous clinical judgment and imaging diagnosis, the progression of the patient's disease combined with a series of laboratory tests led to the diagnosis of soft tissue TB. After routine anti-TB treatment, the patient's condition gradually recovered. This case highlights that when faced with atypical soft tissue lesions, physicians should maintain a high level of TB suspicion to avoid delaying the treatment of the patient's disease and producing a poor prognosis.

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