A case of lupus vulgaris successfully treated with antituberculous therapy despite negative PCR and culture

Akoglu G., Karaduman A., Boztepe G., Ozkaya O., Sahin S., Erkin G., ...More

DERMATOLOGY, vol.211, no.3, pp.290-292, 2005 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 211 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2005
  • Doi Number: 10.1159/000087027
  • Journal Name: DERMATOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.290-292
  • Keywords: cutaneous tuberculosis, lupus vulgaris, polymerase chain reaction, CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS, MYCOBACTERIAL DNA, TUBERCULOSIS
  • Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University Affiliated: No

Abstract

A 14-year-old boy presented with a pink firm plaque with well-defined borders in the right infra-orbital skin area. On diascopy, the infiltrate exhibited a typical apple-jelly appearance. No acid-fast bacilli could be demonstrated. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay did not reveal the presence of mycobacteria in a lesional biopsy sample. Culture of biopsied tissue on Loewenstein-Jensen medium was negative. Although the tuberculosis culture and PCR did not confirm tuberculosis, a diagnosis of lupus vulgaris was made considering the clinical and histopathological findings. After a 9-month antituberculous therapy, the lesion disappeared. We believe that a diagnosis of lupus vulgaris still depends more on clinical and histopathological findings than on tuberculosis culture or PCR.