Simultaneous peripheral tuberculous lymphadenitis and a tuberculous liver abscess in a hemodialysis patient

Abstract

A tuberculous liver abscess is an extremely rare condition. However, extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is more common in end-stage renal disease patients. We report a 64-year-old woman on hemodialysis with liver cirrhosis. She had no evidence of pulmonary or intestinal tuberculosis on the chest radiograph, abdominal computed tomography (CT), or colonoscopy. She had fever and an enlarged right supraclavicular lymph node. A CT showed several cystic ring-enhancing nodules in the liver. Histopathologic examinations were performed on the enlarged lymph node and a cystic nodule in the liver, which revealed caseating granulomas. Systemic antituberculous therapy was started immediately. A subsequent sonographic examination of the lesion in the liver showed improvement. In end-stage renal disease patients, we should be concerned with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The diagnosis and antituberculous therapy must be performed promptly.