DISSEMINATED CUTANEOUS TUBERCULOSIS

Abstract

Cutaneous tuberculosis is a clinically and morphologically heterogeneous group of skin diseases directly or indirectly caused by mycobacteria of the tuberculosis complex, occupying the 5th place among all localizations of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Manifestations of cutaneous tuberculosis are extremely diverse and depend on the immune status and ways of penetration of mycobacteria into the skin. Skin involvement can occur as a result of exogenous inoculation, contiguous spread from an adjacent focus, or hematogenous spread from other foci. Family cases of disseminated cutaneous tuberculosis are described. A combination of several clinical forms of cutaneous tuberculosis — scrofuloderma, tuberculosis cutis lichenoides (moniliformis scrophulosorum) and lupus — are observed in a 5 year old child with a family history of tuberculosis. The issues of pathogenesis and advanced methods of diagnosis of cutaneous tuberculosis are also discussed.

Keywords

• generalized tuberculosis
• cutaneous tuberculosis
• disseminated
• tuberculosis cutis lichenoides