Extrapulmonary tuberculosis: importance of differential diagnosis
Patients with tuberculosis (TB) typically present with pulmonary TB, but extrapulmonary TB is also an important clinical problem. In particular, osteoarticular TB has a great morbidity and its diagnosis gold-standard includes culture and histopathology of the infected area. The present case study describes a 53-year-old female Portuguese farmer who had initial clinical and imaging features suggestive of tuberculous osteomyelitis. However, she denied any TB contacts and the tuberculin skin-test and interferon-γ release assay result were negative. Brucella melitensis was isolated from a tissue biopsy cultural examination, and treatment for brucellosis was started, yielding a favourable outcome. In similar circumstances, a precise diagnosis, that considers the epidemiological context, is crucially important for adequate treatment and reduction of morbidity.