Tuberculosis!!!! Of the Neck!!!

Ok, so we all have heard of this pathology, considering with get shots for this more often than most of us would like. But TB of the neck? So, I’m going to refer to this pathology by its other name considering TB of the neck is just long, so the other name that it’s known for is called

‘Scrofula’. That’s just more fun to say anyway.
So basically what it is is an infection of the lymph nodes in the neck. About half of these patients are known as ‘immunocompromised’. Currently it affects about 5% of the population said to have some form of tuberculosis.

Signs and symptoms to look for with scrofula are chronic, painless abscesses on the neck. They are also known as ‘cold abscesses because they are do not take a reddish color or even the color of skin, but have a bluish, purple tint. This pathology can also cause fever, chills, and weight loss in almost half of these patients. As the lump gets bigger the skin might stretch to its max and bust open causing an open wound. Diagnosis is done by needle biopsies.

So what is there to do about it? Well, surgery doesn’t usually work out to well for the fact that in that kind of environment it is very easy to spread that infection, so the best way to fight it is antibiotics. With this kind of treatment, recovery is pretty much 100%!
http://www.isradiology.org/tropical_deseases/tmcr/chapter5/large5/05-104A.jpg

http://rad.usuhs.mil/medpix/tachy_pics/thumb/synpic44129.jpg CT