Two Interesting Cases of Thyroid Gland Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis involving the thyroid gland is an exceptionally rare condition with varied clinical presentations, often leading to diagnostic challenges. We report two cases: a 9-year-old male with necrotic tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy secondarily involving the thyroid gland, and a 40-year-old male with disseminated tuberculosis affecting multiple organ systems, including the thyroid gland. Both cases presented with swelling over the neck region and were evaluated using ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT), which revealed characteristic imaging findings of thyroid involvement. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and TB-PCR (polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis) of the aspirate confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Early identification and medical management with anti-tubercular therapy led to successful treatment, thereby avoiding unnecessary surgical interventions. These cases signify the importance of considering thyroid tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of thyroid lesions, especially in endemic regions, and highlight the role of imaging and FNAC in establishing a prompt diagnosis.