Unusual manifestations of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis: a pictorial essay

Purpose: Tuberculosis is quite common in India. About 40% of all Indians are infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis, with 2.5 million active tuberculosis cases. Tuberculosis primarily affects the lungs, but it can affect any organ. Extra-pulmonary involvement occurs 15-20% of cases in immune-competent patients and in more than 50% in HIV patients. The most common extra-pulmonary sites are lymph nodes, pleura, abdomen, genitourinary tract, skin, joints and bones, or meninges. Case reports: In this pictorial review article we present 8 atypical cases of tuberculosis and describe their imaging features and histopathology. Conclusions: Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis can affect virtually any organ and can mimic various inflammatory and neoplastic disorders apart from other infective conditions. A strong index of suspicion is required particularly in those countries endemic to tuberculosis.