Primary tuberculosis of thyroid gland: a rare case

Background: Primary Tuberculosis (TB) of the thyroid gland is an extremely rare condition. In fact thyroid gland was considered immune to the tuberculosis till 1862, when Lebertreported the involvement of the gland in a patient with disseminated tuberculosis. Case report: We report a young lady of 21 years of age who presented to ENT out-patient department with history of pain and swelling neck of 3 months duration. FNAC showed presence of histiocytes, epitheliod and giant cells, and was positive for acid fast staining suggesting tuberculosis. Conclusion: Though a rare entity, tuberculosis of the thyroid gland should be considered while managing a patient with a thyroid nodule. As anti-tuberculosis therapy is efficacious, proper diagnosis by FNAC and histopathological examination could avoid unnecessary surgical interventions.