Chronic foot ulcers – Rule out cutaneous tuberculosis!

Abstract

Cutaneous tuberculosis is a form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis and is seen in a small but significant subset of patients seeking dermatology outpatient services. Children constitute a significant proportion of overall cases of cutaneous tuberculosis. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who presented with multiple discharging ulcers over bilateral feet. High suspicion of cutaneous tuberculosis led to early diagnosis and initiation of therapy. Cutaneous tuberculosis can have a varied clinical presentation. We wish to draw attention to mycetoma-like presentation of cutaneous tuberculosis characterized by chronic discharging foot ulcers.

Keywords

• childhood
• cutaneous
• diabetic foot
• gram-positive cocci
• mycetoma
• nucleic acid amplification techniques
• sclerosis
• tuberculosis
• world health organization