A previously healthy 18-year-old man complained of a 3-month history of coughing, expectoration of reddish sputum, weight loss, and fever along with a small region of swelling on his anterior chest wall in the preceding week. CT scan of the chest showed a collar-button abscess, an abscess in the lymph node of the left mediastinum connected to a subcutaneous abscess in the anterior chest wall. A sputum smear showed acid-fast bacteria and culture grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Test for HIV was negative.
The patient received 8 weeks of standard TB treatment but infection progressed in the form of increased swelling, erythema, and fluctuation of the subcutaneous abscess (Panels B and C). How would you manage this subcutaneous abscess in this TB patient? *This case is from Docplexus editorial team for educative purpose only. Source: NEJM Stay connected, the answer will be posted in the…
