Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Presenting as Chest Wall and Abdominal Fluid Collections

Authors

• Michelle Yi, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Ola Altahan, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Mansi Joglekar, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Muneer F. Hasso, Henry Ford HealthFollow
• Marcus J. Zervos, Henry Ford HealthFollow

Recommended Citation

Yi M, Altahan O, Joglekar M, Hasso MF, Zervos M. Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Presenting as Chest Wall and Abdominal Fluid Collections. Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice. 2026;34(3).

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2026

Publication Title

Infect Dis Clin Pract

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) commonly presents in the pulmonary form, but extrapulmonary TB may also be seen in any part of the body. This report presents a case of extrapulmonary TB in a 21-year-old male patient who immigrated from Africa. He presented with a painful chest wall swelling that appeared suddenly and had no other symptoms. CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed fluid collections of the chest wall and mesentery that were drained and biopsied. PCR of the drainage detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) DNA, and AFB culture with smear grew Mtb. This patient’s sudden onset of chest wall swelling in the absence of other symptoms presents as an unusual presentation of TB not generally seen in high-income countries where TB prevalence is low. This case exemplifies the importance of maintaining a high suspicion for extrapulmonary TB, especially in patients from endemic countries.

Volume

34

Issue

3