Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case study
Abstract Background Esophageal ulcers can arise not only from malignant lesions but also from benign diseases, such as tuberculosis. These ulcers may mimic the radiological features of esophageal malignancy or tuberculosis on PET/CT, leading to diagnostic challenges. Case presentation A 59-year-old...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-10418-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841559798225567744 |
|---|---|
| author | Ming Xue Yue-Can Zeng |
| author_facet | Ming Xue Yue-Can Zeng |
| author_sort | Ming Xue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Esophageal ulcers can arise not only from malignant lesions but also from benign diseases, such as tuberculosis. These ulcers may mimic the radiological features of esophageal malignancy or tuberculosis on PET/CT, leading to diagnostic challenges. Case presentation A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a month-long history of progressive painful swallowing, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Whole-body 18 F-FDG PET/CT revealed a lesion in the mid-esophagus and swollen mediastinal lymph nodes with high FDG uptake, showing a maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 17.10 for the lymph nodes and 8.08 for the esophageal lesion. Esophageal cancer was initially suspected based on PET/CT findings. However, pathological examination of the esophageal lesion obtained via esophagoscopy showed only inflammation and granulation tissue, with no malignancy. A biopsy of the lymph nodes obtained through endoscopic ultrasonography revealed caseous necrosis but no atypical cells, and microbiological tests were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A final diagnosis of esophageal tuberculosis was made. Conclusions Esophageal lesions can result from both malignant and benign conditions, including tuberculosis, and may mimic the radiological features of esophageal malignancy on PET/CT or other imaging studies. When esophageal lesions resemble malignancy, pseudotumoral esophagus and esophageal tuberculosis should be considered as differential diagnoses. Endoscopy, particularly endoscopic ultrasonography, is strongly recommended to accurately distinguish between benign and malignant esophageal lesions, helping to avoid unnecessary invasive treatments and reduce potential physical and psychological harm to patients. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3b9f9902f66c4abe95839cc630e5e9e7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-3b9f9902f66c4abe95839cc630e5e9e72025-01-05T12:09:41ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342025-01-012511310.1186/s12879-024-10418-9Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case studyMing Xue0Yue-Can Zeng1Department of Outpatient, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical UniversityDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Treatment Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical UniversityAbstract Background Esophageal ulcers can arise not only from malignant lesions but also from benign diseases, such as tuberculosis. These ulcers may mimic the radiological features of esophageal malignancy or tuberculosis on PET/CT, leading to diagnostic challenges. Case presentation A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a month-long history of progressive painful swallowing, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Whole-body 18 F-FDG PET/CT revealed a lesion in the mid-esophagus and swollen mediastinal lymph nodes with high FDG uptake, showing a maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 17.10 for the lymph nodes and 8.08 for the esophageal lesion. Esophageal cancer was initially suspected based on PET/CT findings. However, pathological examination of the esophageal lesion obtained via esophagoscopy showed only inflammation and granulation tissue, with no malignancy. A biopsy of the lymph nodes obtained through endoscopic ultrasonography revealed caseous necrosis but no atypical cells, and microbiological tests were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A final diagnosis of esophageal tuberculosis was made. Conclusions Esophageal lesions can result from both malignant and benign conditions, including tuberculosis, and may mimic the radiological features of esophageal malignancy on PET/CT or other imaging studies. When esophageal lesions resemble malignancy, pseudotumoral esophagus and esophageal tuberculosis should be considered as differential diagnoses. Endoscopy, particularly endoscopic ultrasonography, is strongly recommended to accurately distinguish between benign and malignant esophageal lesions, helping to avoid unnecessary invasive treatments and reduce potential physical and psychological harm to patients.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-10418-9Esophageal tuberculosisEsophageal lesionEndoscopic ultrasonographyCase report |
| spellingShingle | Ming Xue Yue-Can Zeng Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case study BMC Infectious Diseases Esophageal tuberculosis Esophageal lesion Endoscopic ultrasonography Case report |
| title | Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case study |
| title_full | Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case study |
| title_fullStr | Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case study |
| title_short | Unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis: a case study |
| title_sort | unusual presentation of esophageal tuberculosis a case study |
| topic | Esophageal tuberculosis Esophageal lesion Endoscopic ultrasonography Case report |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-10418-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mingxue unusualpresentationofesophagealtuberculosisacasestudy AT yuecanzeng unusualpresentationofesophagealtuberculosisacasestudy |