Tuberculosis of rib and lung presenting as subcutaneous emphysema

Chest Wall Mass in Infancy: The Presentation of Bone-Tumor-Like BCG Osteitis

Chest wall mass in infancy is rare. Malignant lesions are more common than infection or benign tumors. This is a case of a 12-month-old girl who presented with a 2 cm mass at the right costal margin and poor weight gain. Chest radiograph demonstrated a moth-eaten osteolytic lesion at the 8th rib. The resection was performed, and a mass with pus content was found. The positive acid fast stain (AFB) organism was noted. Pathology confirmed caseous granulomatous inflammation compatible with mycobacterial infection. However, QuantiFERON-TB Gold was negative, so Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) osteitis is highly suspected. She was treated with antimycobacterium drugs and showed good results. Osteomyelitis can manifest by mimicking bone tumors. Without a biopsy, the pathogen may go undetected. So, interventions such as biopsy are warranted and avoid mass resection without indication. High C-reactive protein (CRP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), periosteal reaction of radiating spicules, and penumbra sign in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are helpful for discriminating osteomyelitis from bone tumor.

Subcutaneous emphysema as the first relevant clinical sign of complicated tubercular lymph node disease in a child

BACKGROUND

Children make up a significant proportion of the global tuberculosis (TB) caseload, and experience considerable TB-related morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, it is not easy to diagnose TB in the first years of life because of the diversity of its clinical presentation and the non-specific nature of most of its symptoms.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 26-month-old male child was admitted to hospital because of the sudden onset of rapidly increasing swelling of the neck, face and upper trunk a few hours before. Upon admission, his temperature was 36.5°C, pulse rate 120/min, respiratory rate 36/min, and O2 saturation 97% in air. Palpation revealed subcutaneous emphysema (SE) over the swollen skin areas, and an examination of the respiratory system revealed crepitations in the left part of the chest without any significant suggestion of mediastinal shift. Chest radiography showed enlargement of the left lung hilum with pneumomediastinum and diffuse SE. Bronchoscopy was carried out because of the suspicion that the SE may have been due to the inhalation of a peanut. This excluded the presence of a foreign body but showed that the left main bronchus was partially obstructed with caseous material and showed significant signs of granulomatous inflammation on the wall. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the lungs confirmed the SE and pneumomediastinum, and revealed bilateral hilum lymph node disease with infiltration of the adjacent anatomical structure and a considerable breach in the left primary bronchus wall conditioning the passage of air in the mediastinum and subcutaneous tissue. As a tuberculin skin test and polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis on bronchial material and gastric aspirate were positive, a diagnosis of TB was made and oral anti-TB therapy was started, which led to the elimination of M. tuberculosis and a positive clinical outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first case in which SE was the first relevant clinical manifestation of TB and arose from infiltration of the bronchial wall secondary to caseous necrosis of the hilum lymph nodes. Physicians should be aware of the fact that SE is one of the possible initial signs and symptoms of early TB infection, and act accordingly.

Chest wall TB and low 25-hidroxy-vitamin D levels in a 15-month-old girl

Parietal chest wall tuberculosis is an extremely rare manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) in children. We present the case of a 15 month-old girl presenting with a chest wall lesion initially thought to be of neoplastic origin and eventually diagnosed as chest wall TB, which was treated with surgical debridement and specific antitubercular therapy. The girl had not-measurable 25-hidroxy-vitamin D levels, an increasingly recognized risk factor for the development of active TB. To our knowledge, in the English literature there are no similar described cases in such young infants. This case highlight the possibility of dealing with TB and its different manifestations also in low TB burden countries, due to continuously increasing migration flows. A detailed history is a key point to reach the diagnosis. Moreover, our case confirm the possible non casual relationship between TB and low 25-hidroxy-vitamin D levels, pointing out the importance of measuring its levels in all TB patients and considering its supplementation in addition to specific antitubercular therapy.