Tuberculosis of the thyroid gland is a very rare condition. We report a case of tuberculous
thyroiditis in a young woman who presented with a right-side solitary thyroid nodule
associated with features of subacute inflammation of a short duration. Diagnosis was
confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with positive Ziehl Neelsen staining
for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The
patient was treated medically with satisfactory resolution of the infection and regression
of the nodule.
Conclusion: FNAC provides a confident non-operative diagnosis of thyroid tuberculosis,
obviating the need for unnecessary surgical removal of a thyroid nodule readily treated
medically.
Key-words:
Thyroid - Thyroiditis - Thyroid abscess - Tuberculosis
