Lichen scrofulosorum: Cutaneous manifestation of tuberculous lymphadenitis

Abstract

Cutaneous tuberculosis (TB) known as tuberculid forms 1%–1.5% of all extrapulmonary manifestation of TB. Tuberculids result from a hypersensitivity reaction to an extracutaneous source of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in individuals with high immunity and can be difficult to diagnose. Lichen scrofulosorum (LS) is a rare form of tuberculid predominantly seen in children and young adults; we report a case of an 8-year-old boy evaluated for fever and mediastinal lymphadenopathy in whom the skin lesions, LS, served as an important clue for the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis.

Keywords

• lichen scrofulosorum
• tuberculid
• tuberculous lymphadenitis