[Scrofuloderma: a misleading lesion]

Abstract

We describe a case of scrofuloderma in an 8-year-old boy with a cutaneous tuberculosis lesion.

Case report: The child had spent holidays in Morocco. He presented a cutaneous lesion of the thigh which turned into an abscess with suppuration, in spite of surgical drainage. The lymph node analysis showed Koch bacilli and granuloma, leading to the diagnosis of scrofuloderma. Further exams found no other lesion. The course was favorable under treatment.

Comments: With lupus vulgaris, scrofuloderma is the most common cutaneous tuberculosis lesion in children, particularly in developing countries. It is often associated with other organ lesions, such as bone or lung, and these must be sought. Scrofulodermas are unusual in Western countries, leading to misdiagnosis. Fortunately, adapted treatment most often results in recovery.