A Rare Encounter of Cervical Tuberculous Lymphadenitis (Scrofula) in an Immunocompetent Adolescent Female: A Case Report

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health concern. While it primarily affects the lungs, TB can also present in extrapulmonary forms, with cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (CTL) or scrofula being the most common. Herein, we report a case of a 19-year-old female with a six-month history of progressively enlarging left-sided neck swelling. The patient was diagnosed with CTL. Diagnosing extrapulmonary TB can be challenging. In cases like ours, excisional biopsy or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear, culture, or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis is critical for diagnosis. Our case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion to differentiate mycobacterial infection from other causes of lymphadenopathy, particularly in immunocompetent adolescent patients.