Eyelid edema – An unusual presentation of ocular tuberculosis

We describe the case of a 71-year-old woman with periocular tuberculosis manifesting as eyelid edema. The diagnosis of tuberculosis infection was particularly difficult given the atypical presentation, the negative result of interferon-gamma release assay, and the absence of active or past pulmonary disease. Skin biopsy and its analysis with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enabled the definitive diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This represents an exceptionally rare form of eyelid tuberculosis and highlights the importance of a thorough investigation in the diagnostic workup of unspecified and refractory cases of eyelid edema that should include histopathological tissue analysis.