Untitled

Abstract

Introduction: lymph node tuberculosis is a frequent localization of tuberculosis disease. It often poses the problem of its differential diagnosis with other causes of chronic lymphadenopathy in tropical settings. Method and patients:This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019 in the internal medicine department of the CHU Le Dantec in Dakar. Patients over 16 years of age with confirmed isolated lymph node tuberculosis were included. The epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutionary parameters were studied.Results: Fourty-six patients were included in the study (28 women, 18 men), ie a sex ratio of 0.64. The average age was 31 years old [16 and 70 years old]. Tuberculosis contagion was noted in 28 patients (60.8%) with an aerial predominance (19/28). Forty patients (86.9%) had a BCG scar. Asthenia, weight loss, and vespero-nocturnal fever were constant (100%). Tuberculin skin test (TST) was positive in 43 patients (93.4%). Thirty-four patients (73.9%) presented non-inflammatory, chronic (33/34) non-compressive macropolyadenopathy. Cervical localization predominated (41/46). Six patients (13%) presented with an associated abdominal localization. HIV infection was found in 4 patients. The main comorbidities were diabetes and chronic kidney disease each in 3 cases. The outcome under treatment was favorable in 40 patients. Three patients (6.5%) were lost to follow-up and two (4.3%) died.Conclusion: lymph node tuberculosis is frequent. Improving the technical platform with the systematic performance of the excisional biopsy would increase diagnostic performance.