Diagnostic challenge in papillary thyroid carcinoma with cervical lymphadenopathy, metastasis, or tuberculous lymphadenitis

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent histological subtype of thyroid cancer. Total thyroidectomy with neck dissection is recommended for treatment. Tuberculous adenitis is a common cause of lymphadenopathy in endemic areas. Therefore, tuberculous lymphadenitis should be considered in the etiology of enlarged lymph nodes when PTC patients with risk factors such as tuberculosis present with cervical lymph node enlargement. Detailed evaluation of the neck metastasis of patients with PTC is necessary to avoid postoperative complications due to neck dissection. We present a 55-year-old female patient with tuberculous lymphadenitis mimicking metastatic lymph nodes from PTC.