Tuberculosis of the Thyroid in a Child: A Rare cause of Thyromegaly

Abstract

Tuberculosis of thyroid gland is extremely rare in children. We describe the case of a 6-year girl child, presenting with a multinodular thyroid swelling. Fine needle aspiration cytology showed extensive necrosis with few epithelioid cell granulomas and occasional acid-fast bacilli, suggesting a diagnosis of tuberculosis. The child was put on anti-tuberculous drugs with significant improvement. Tuberculosis of the thyroid gland, although rare, should be considered in differential diagnosis of thyroid swelling, especially in endemic areas.